Percy Jackson and the Gods of Asgard: The Cursed Beast
by PplusAforever
Summary: When a Monster that hasn't been seen in decades finally appears out of hiding, the job is too big for just Percy Jackson. This time, he must get some help from some very distant cousins.
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

Somewhere, Over the Bifrost

I smiled, as my daughter ran into my arms.

"Daddy!"

I swung her into the air, then brought her back down, nuzzling her nose with mine. She was absolutely adorable. Blonde hair. Green eyes. My personality. Annabeth's smarts.

"I picked some flowers for Momma," she informed me. I always knew that's how my daughter would turn out: perfect, just like Annabeth.

"She'll love them." I set her down and grabbed her hand. She smiled wide, wiping her dirty hands on the front of her red sun dress. Now, her fashion sense wasn't quite the same as Annabeth's. She was a bit more girly than my wife. "Let's go back inside."

Anyway, my name's Percy Jackson. By now, you've probably heard of me. Savior of Olympus. Defeater of Kronos. Defeater of Gaea. Most powerful demigod ever. (Okay, I'll admit it. That last one is self-proclaimed. But I do think it's true.) Honestly, I could make the list go on a while longer, but I don't really have the patience. Plus, I'd just be bragging. And I'd hate to brag. The point is, I'd had a pretty eventful life. I just wish I'd known exactly how eventful it was going to get. As we turned towards the house, a loud crash came from behind us. I pivoted quickly.

"Sophia, go inside. Now. Wait with your mom."

She bounded off, nervously. She was probably scared of the worry in my voice. I drew my ballpoint pen from my pocket and uncapped it. And, yeah, I said pen. It was a magical item. My pen instantly became a sword when I opened it. And, also yes, it's pretty awesome.

 _Ah, celestial bronze_.

I loved the feeling. Now wasn't really the time for basking in the relaxing glow of _Riptide_. I scanned my surroundings. Trees, grass, a dwarf stuck in a neighbor's trash can, and a dude with elf-ears trying to pull him out. Yep. That's probably where the crash came from. I strode over.

"Uh, can I help you?"

The elf dude didn't say anything. I was used to being ignored.

"Do you need help? You don't have to be a jerk about it."

The elf sighed, and gestured to his friend, who was mumbling all sorts of curses under his breath. I pulled the dwarf out my one leg. Despite being short, he was pretty heavy.

The dwarf huffed. "Thank you, I suppose." He scanned me, as if trying to decide whether or not I was a friend. "Are you Percy Jackson?"

As I've said before, the only people who knew my name before I introduced myself were usually enemies. My eyes narrowed.

"Who's asking?"

The dwarf laughed. "He's been watching his movies!" He looked at his friend while jabbing his thumb in my direction. He straightened up tall. (well, as tall as he could). "I am Blitzen, son of Freya. Fashion expert extraordinaire. Please, call me Blitz. And this is Hearth. You may have noticed, he is deaf"

My ears turned red. I stammered. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" I trailed off.

Hearth signed something. I'm pretty sure he was saying _its okay_ , but I wasn't sure. The name Freya stuck in my head. I didn't recognize the name.

"You said son of Freya?"

Blitz stood regally. "Indeed"

"And she is?"

Blitz was clearly offended. "The goddess of Love, beauty-"

I cut him off. "That's Aphrodite." But even as I said it, I had a sinking feeling that he wasn't talking about the _Greek_ gods. I heard a door open behind me.

"Percy, what's going on?" I turned to see Annabeth standing defensively on the porch.

"I don't know yet. Who the Hades are you guys?" I asked.

"Hades? Good gods, Magnus wasn't lying! Would you look at that, Hearth? The Greeks do exist."

I furrowed my brow. The Greeks exist? Were they Magicians? I had this run in with Egyptians a long time ago. It had been weird, but I hadn't ever had any contact with them since then. This dwarf's 3-piece suit was really distracting. "Magnus?"

"Yes. Magnus Chase sent us. He said it's very urgent."

I sighed. Magnus Chase was Annabeth's cousin. I knew things were about to get serious. "Isn't it always. Come with me, then. You can tell us what you have to say in the house."

I led them towards Annabeth.

"Percy?" she asked.

"Say hello to Hearth and Blitz, Wise girl. Friends of your cousin."

Her stormy eyes widened. Gods, she was beautiful. And yeah, I know it's cheesy, but she gets more beautiful every day. She twisted her hair between her fingers.

"Magnus? I haven't seen him in ages!" Her expression grew worried. "That's not good, then, is it?"

Blitz smiled matter-of-factly. "You're absolutely right."

It didn't seem appropriate to smile while giving bad news, but at the same time, it didn't seem like a happy smile, so I ignored it. At least Hearth was gazing mournfully at the floor. The dwarf straightened his tie.

"Have you ever heard of Grendel?"

I blinked. Grendel? I was drawing a blank. I glanced at Annabeth. She had that look on her face where she recognized something but didn't quite know how it fit into the situation. It was a cute face. Her face scrunched up, and she bit her lip.

"Do you mean the Grendel from the tale of _Beowulf_?" Annabeth asked. I could almost see the steam coming from her ears as the gears inside her head cranked on. Hearth nodded at her, signing something with his hands. I really needed to learn sign language.

"Precisely the one," Blitzen confirmed, "You see, Grendel has escaped. She is wreaking havoc through the 9 realms, and we cannot seem to stop her."

This rattled my brain.

"Hold up, timeout. I need some back story. Annabeth?"  
Annabeth bit her lip. Styx, that wasn't a good sign.

"Okay, Percy, you read _Beowulf_ for college. I know you did. Well, you were supposed to. Well, actually now that I think about it, I think you ended up trying to watch the movie and fell asleep." My face reddened. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. Grendel is one of the monsters, along with his mother, that Beowulf has to fight."

Annabeth looked at Blitz. "You can't stop one monster? And why is Grendel a problem? He's a myth from the Anglo-Saxons…" She trailed off. "In the story, Grendel is said to descend from the Biblical lineage of Cain. Which can only mean, that somewhere in Christianity, a monster such as Grendel has been recorded, or written about. Maybe even similar to-to, uh, Goliath. Grendel is described as giant as well. And of course, as you know, Christianity was spread throughout Rome, Greece and other surrounding areas, so that explains how Grendel could be intertwined with the Greek Culture. That also answers my question as to why you came to us for help. But, what does that have to do with the Norse Gods? How is Grendel a problem in your Realm, or whatever you call it? Norse mythology is a Germanic…a Germanic….dammit! It stems from Germany." Annabeth was hardly ever at a loss for words, so it always frustrated her when she was. She smacked her hand on the table.

Blitz and Hearth gawked at each other, trying to process the rambling, whirlwind of information my wife just conjured.

"Uh, yes, uh, well," Blitz stammered, "I believe Grendel entered our dominion during the Invasion of Britain. During one of your human World Wars. But, Grendel has kept a low profile since then, attempting to build power."

Annabeth palmed her head. "Of course!"

"And to further answer your question. I'm sure you realize that the exact description of Grendel has always been obscure. Well, it seems that Grendel has a very dangerous power. He can adapt to any culture that he visits. I don't know exactly how to explain it, but I'll try. For example, if he were to visit Greece, he can absorb the knowledge of the Culture. He virtually evolves to make himself invulnerable to the weapons and technology of the culture. He then becomes a part of the mythology, and even the land itself. It just so happened that Grendel crossed over into Norse owned land. After adapting, we were able to sense him. We were unsure of what Grendel was at first. We had never seen him, of course. We got a team of researchers on it immediately, and, as you have just discovered, the results were grim."

Now, I was even more confused. I decided to try one of my famous recaps.

"Okay, let me get this straight. If Grendel were to walk into the Underworld, He would be able to instantly know everything about it. All its secrets and everything. After that, He evolves to make himself invulnerable to anything that could try to kill him in that domain?"

Hearth made a so-so sign with his hand, which I guessed meant I was partially right. But to be fair, this was very confusing to me.

"Not instantly, necessarily. He has to take a few minutes to get a feel for the place, but you, more or less, have it down pat. Another example would be fighting warriors; He could study your fighting style for a few moments and he will be able to parry your every move. I'm sure you understand why he is so difficult to apprehend."

I guess I was glad I got it right, because I still wasn't exactly sure what I was saying. At that moment, Sophia ran in.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" She asked, her eyes matching perfectly with mine. She noticed the visitors and scooted behind my leg. I picked her up. She stared.

"Hey, Sophia, what are you doing here?"

We hadn't exactly told her all about the Greek gods and everything yet. We didn't want her scent to get too strong. But then again, she's a child of a child of Poseidon, and a child of a child of Athena. She probably had a pretty strong scent.

"I heard Mommy say 'dammit' so I thought something was wrong."

I laughed. Annabeth gave me one of her signature _Don't you dare_ looks.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh. You know you're not supposed to say that word, baby."

"Momma said it."

I shook my head jokingly at Annabeth.

"All her bad habits, she gets from you."

Annabeth "jokingly" slapped me back. Sophia giggled. I rubbed my cheek.

Blitz coughed.

"So, Sophia, why don't you meet Hearth and Blitz. They were just coming to tell us a few things."

Sophia furrowed her brow as the two dudes waved at her.

"They look like creatures from those stories." She said.

I paused and shared a look with Annabeth.

"Well, they are. They are very similar."

Blitz interrupted my teaching moment.

"Look, I hate to break up a tender family moment, but we've got important business and an impatient god who's been waiting on us." He paused before looking up at the sky. "Heimdall, we're ready!"

Before I could ask anymore questions, a rainbow shot down and engulfed us.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

That's Definitely Not Idris Elba

Travelling through rainbow is…well, it's interesting. The most I'd ever done with a rainbow is an Ancient version of Skype. I tried to look around, but the light was blinding. Sophia had fallen from my arms. I was frantically trying to reach for her. After what seemed like a minute or so, I landed hard on my butt. I shook off my headache.

"Annabeth? Sophia?"

"I'm okay, Percy"

"I'm here, Daddy"

I sighed. "Gods, I don't want to do that again. I'll just stick to a Pegasus."

I rubbed the kink out of my neck, climbing to my feet. I assisted Annabeth in standing, and scooped Sophia back up.

"You feeling okay, Baby?"

She shook her head.

"I think I'm gonna thwow up!"

I set her down quickly, leaning her head towards the edge of the rainbow bridge. I held on tight. I did not want her falling off. She vomited.

"Many apologies," Blitz said, "Traveling through the Bifrost can have that effect. I should have warned you."

I nuzzled my daughter close. "Better now?" She nodded. At that time, a man stepped forward.

"Oh, yes! I've got to get a selfie of this. Greek demigods enter Asgard! Momentous occasion!"

He surged forward and began fumbling with some sort of horn. What the Hades was going on? It morphed into a phone. Hearth interrupted him, signing for him to stop.

"Hearth is right," Blitz said, "We don't have the time. Put Gjallarhorn away, please. It's very urgent"

The man pouted. His bushy eyebrows really stood out on his face. I don't think I'd ever seen any that big.

"You heroes are always in a rush. Never anytime for a selfie with Heimdall. Alas, I see how it is."

So, yes, my first thought was that this guy was nothing like Idris Elba. That guy was great in those Thor movies. This Heimdall didn't seem like a very competent man. That's how I knew he was definitely a god. He also had on a tunic. I didn't have enough time to think on that, though, because my mind went into a completely different direction. This had to be serious. Another voice piped up.

"Hey, guys, thanks for coming."

Kurt Cobain walked up to us. No, not the Kurt Cobain. This was just Magnus. He looked exactly like Kurt, though, just without the long hair. He wore a simple jeans and T-shirt combo like me and Annabeth. Next to him walked Alex Fierro. She wore salmon-colored pants, and a white button up shirt. They were married, by the way. She, er, he (on somedays). Okay, let me explain. Alex Fierro is a child of Loki apparently. Loki is the Norse god of Mischief (you might also remember him from the movies). Anyway, some children of Loki are born with this thing where their gender can change. Alex wasn't in charge of it. Somedays she was completely a girl, other days completely a guy. Although, typically, she said she was a girl. It's very confusing, so I honestly try to avoid calling her anything other than her name. It's less offensive. But for the sake of this story, I'm just going with she. Hopefully, Alex will never read this. Alex stood with her arms over her chest. Her manner and presence always reminded me of my friend Thalia Grace. I had a feeling they'd get along pretty well. They both had fiery eyes.

"Well, it's been a while," Magnus continued. Annabeth hugged her cousin. Sophia gazed wondrously around her. She was awestruck. Her wide eyes made me smile.

"I assume Blitz filled you in."

Annabeth and I both nodded. I spoke.

"I am really confused, though, what do you need us for?"

Annabeth winced.

"Gods, Percy, do you have to end your sentences with prepositions?"

I rolled my eyes. Grammar was stupid, but Annabeth was a grammar Nazi. I think Magnus smirked at me.

"Well, Percy. Grendel is a very elusive monster. He hasn't been seen for years. We thought he had been slumbering, and perhaps he was, but now he is wreaking havoc on our Nine Realms. Most recently, he has visited Midgard, or Earth, as we know it. After all, that is his birth place. We believe he is going to try to absorb strength from places of power. Unfortunately, he's too strong for us to handle alone. We need your help."

That pretty much summed up what we had already been told.

"Yeah, but how do we start that? And if Grendel is on Earth, why didn't you just meet us down there? Shouldn't we start hunting?"

I glanced at Alex, making me think of Thalia again. I continued.

"We know a group that's very good at tracking monsters."

Magnus smiled.

"I'm sure you do, Percy, but I think this might be just a little bit better. Heimdall, can you show us where the monster is?"

He turned to face the god. Heimdall held up his hand.

"Say no more. But, as I am sure you know, gods do come with a price." He paused, licking his lips, grinning like a child who just won a lifetime's worth of candy. "I require one selfie with the Greeks. Just one! Please? Gjallarhorn never gets used for anything useful"

Magnus sighed and groaned. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Fine," Alex said, "One selfie."

Heimdall straightened up and closed his eyes. Nobody spoke for about a minute. I fidgeted. I have ADHD. I can't stand long pauses.

"Uh, is he dead?" I asked. Annabeth shot me a look as if to say _Be respectful!_

Heimdall opened his eyes again.

"Ah, yes. I see him."

He pointed at his Gjallarhorn, which had suddenly transformed into a giant phone. That horn must be pretty useful. I wondered what else it could do. On the phone screen, I saw Grendel. Grendel looked like Bigfoot. He didn't look all that threatening to me, but I had learned not to judge my enemies. Fur covered his body, and his eyes glowed with a familiar green color. Oracle smoke green. It made me shiver. I got a bad feeling that something was seriously wrong. See, our Oracle is a servant of Apollo. She sometimes spouts out prophecies. When she does, this green smoke billows from her mouth and floats around her. Its very unnerving the first time you see it. Regardless, the smoke usually indicated that something apocalyptic was in the near future. I stole a glance at Annabeth and knew she was thinking the same thing. Grendel might actually be the least of our worries. I looked back at the screen. Grendel was in a cave of some sort. Man, did monsters love caves.

"Where is that?" I questioned.

"The moor-fens," Heimdall answered. That answered nothing.

"What?"

Annabeth chimed in.

"The moor-fens! Where Grendel lived back before Beowulf killed him. It's near Heorot Hall. I think most modern scholars would place that near the village Lejre. That's Denmark, Percy. Anglo-Saxons"

"I thought they were from England."

"Percy, Anglo-Saxons are a group of people. They aren't necessarily confined to one living space. Some Saxons did indeed live in England. That's how legends spread to different cultures, Percy"

 _Oh, gods_. I had started Annabeth on a lecture. Luckily, this one didn't last much longer.

"So," I said, "We go to Denmark then?"

Alex shook her head.

"No, I'm sure Grendel won't stay there long. That's where he grew up. He already knows everything he could possibly know about the country. He'll be coming for other places. Greece, Rome, China. Anywhere that once was, or still is, a large source of power."

Annabeth nodded in agreement.

"I agree. We need to wait to see what Grendel's first move is. Meanwhile, I think there's an old friend Percy and I need to visit."

She gave me a knowing glance. We had to see Rachel, our Oracle.

"And you need to come with us," Annabeth added, pointing at Magnus and Alex.

I scooped up Sophia, who had been busy playing with the rainbow highway.

"Hey, baby. I think we're gonna have to do that Rainbow travel again. Are you up for it?"

Sophia chewed her bottom lip, her expression turning sour. But then, she put her brave face on.

"I can do it, Daddy."

I nuzzled her nose.

"I knew you could."

Alex cocked her head to the side, studying me with the slightest smile at the edge of her lips.

"Heimdall," she said. "Take us where they need us."

I looked at the Idris Elba knock off. He quickly pulled out his phone and snapped a picture.

"Ah, that'll be great!" He announced.

"Camp Half-Blood." I requested.

Heimdall nodded, and for the second time that day, I discovered that the Rainbow tasted _nothing_ like Skittles.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Prophecies Really Just Suck

All this traveling with Heimdall really had me wondering: Has Iris been holding out on us all these years? I mean, she was the Greek goddess of Rainbows. Could she secretly travel through rainbows? The more I thought about it, though, the less I really wanted it to be true. I just didn't really like the whole experience. I reminded myself to ask Annabeth about it later.

While we were free falling through ROY G. BIV (yeah, I went to fifth grade) I managed to hold on to my daughter this time. We landed hard on our butts yet again. I looked over to see Magnus standing perfectly upright, along with Annabeth and Alex and Hearth . . . and Blitz. Okay, so _I_ landed on my butt. I dusted myself off, assisting Sophia in doing the same. Heimdall had deposited us right next to Thalia's Pine on the top of Half-Blood Hill. I drew in a deep breath. Gods, I hadn't been back here in forever.

"Daddy . . ." Sophia's voice was full of awe. I figured it would remain that way for most of the day. We were going to blow her mind. "What is this place?"

I shared a smile with my wife. I laced my fingers with hers.

"Well, Baby, this is where Mommy and I grew up; we lived here when we were kids."

Sophia giggled happily, bouncing up and down. She made my heart melt. I even saw Magnus smile and I was fairly certain he didn't really want kids.

"Can you show me everything you did, Daddy? I do everything just like you!"

I scooped her up.

"Of course, Sophie. But Mom and I have something important we have to do first, okay? We'll show you a few things, but the real exploration will have to wait."

Sophia's face fell slightly, but then turned back to her bubbly smile.

"Okay, Daddy. Don't take long."

I took her hand and escorted the group towards the Big House lawn. So, Annabeth and I weren't really sure how it worked. Sophia technically half me, half Annabeth. We didn't know if she'd have any powers, or be able to see through the Mist, or what. But, since she could clearly see Camp Half-Blood, there was a good chance she had some sort of power. I said a silent prayer to my dad that Sophia would take after me. We had been reading the Greek myths to Sophia since she was two. She was six now. Oh, gods. She's growing up too fast.

Chiron greeted us from the porch, trotting to meet us. Yes, trotting, he's got a horse body.

"Percy! Annabeth! Good gods, it has been a while!"

He offered his arms to both of us for an embrace. Sophia stared.

"D-Daddy!" She gasped. "He-he's like the guy from your bedtime stories! He's like-like Chiron! He's a Centaur!"

Her hands were flailing wildly. The group laughed, with Chiron looking the most amused. His face seemed to be much older now, more . . . ancient. His tail twitched.

"Well, my dear, that's because I _am_ Chiron."

I swear she almost fainted. "The one from the stories? The demigod trainer?"

Sophia looked at me for confirmation. I nodded.

"I am, indeed," Chiron said, a familiar twinkle in his eye. "I trained your parents"

Sophia scrunched her brow, no doubt trying to figure out everything.

"Wait, does that mean-" she leapt into my arms. "Daddy! Are you a demigod?"

"Son of Poseidon" I confirmed. Sophia's eyes glowed with amazement.

"Mommy! Who's your god parent?!"

Sophia was excited.

"Athena," Annabeth answered.

"Don't Poseidon and Athena hate each other?"

I chewed the inside of my cheek.

"Eh, not as much as they used to," I decided. "Athena does hate me, though. Anyway, Baby, Mommy and I need to talk to Chiron in private. Do you want to wait on us, or do you want another camper to give you a tour of Camp?"

"I'll wait on you, Daddy."

"Okay, well, I'm going to have someone take you to my Cabin. You can sit in there until we're done here. We shouldn't be long."

Chiron called over this guy to walk Sophia to Cabin Three. I watched them walk away. I had a bad feeling in my gut, but it always appeared when I have to leave Sophia alone. I turned to Chiron.

"Chiron, I'd like to introduce Annabeth's cousin, Magnus, and Alex. They also have their friends Hearth and Blitz."

Chiron gave each a handshake, studying each of them apprehensively.

"And what brings you back to camp after 8 years, Percy?"

"Well, Magnus and Alex here are from Valhalla-"

Chiron stumbled back, clearly unsettled. He made a three-finger gesture over his heart. This was an ancient symbol for warding off evil.

" _Di Immortales_ ," he cursed. "Then it has begun. And, Percy, I wish you had never come back."

That stung. Chiron had been my mentor for years. His approval meant something to me. But when I looked him in the eyes, I saw pain and sadness, like I was looking into his soul. Annabeth had a pained expression, while Magnus and his crew just looked confused.

"Come, then. We haven't much time before I leave. I assume you came for the Oracle."

He galloped in the direction of our Oracle's cave. I squeezed Annabeth's hand. I was starting to feel very nervous. I was sweating.

"Annabeth-"

"I don't know, Percy, I don't know."

"Uh, do we need to follow him?" Magnus asked. I nodded, and we raced after Chiron.

Rachel stood at the entrance, not the faintest hint of a smile to be found. My mind was trying to figure out what was happening. Rachel brushed her red hair from her face, revealing her green eyes. She was a beautiful girl, all Oracles were. There was one point when I was fifteen where I thought, maybe, that I liked Rachel, but it didn't work out. She had to become an eternal maiden forever, and I had to marry the love of my life. But despite that, I can't deny that she was a pretty girl. Gods, I hope Annabeth doesn't read this. Rachel looked up at me.

"Gods, Percy. It's horrible. I-I can barely stand it. They're all screaming at me. I don't know what to do."

She pointed at Magnus. Her voice began having a raspy undertone. Something was wrong. Annabeth shot me a worried look. She could sense it, too.

"This is your doing, Magnus Chase. You've ruined everything. Your monster wreaks havoc. It's making the spirits angry, making them mad."

Magnus looked like he'd been punched.

"Me?" he sputtered. "I don't even know you, how do you know my name?"

Hearth looked ready to pummel Rachel to death.

"The spirits, the Oracle, the Augurs, the Volva. Freya, Apollo, all of them, they're talking to me. I can't take it!"

Wasn't a Volva a car? I wasn't sure how a car was talking to her, but I've seen weirder. Suddenly, she doubled over, smoke billowing from her mouth. However, this wasn't green smoke, like usual. It was red.

" _Seven Half-Bloods shall answer the call_

 _To the Storm of Freya Gaea must fall"_

Rachel cackled manically. Whatever voices were in her head, they were confusing her, mixing up old prophecies. Rachel locked eyes with me.

"Here's the final prophecy, Perseus."

Chills went down my spine.

 _The Son of Ran, dead will be_

 _When travelers descend on the fiery tree_

 _The Prophet's Son shall break the curse_

 _That binds the giantess of the first_

 _Only Magic and gods prevail_

 _Lest Wisdom sever the mortal veil_

Rachel's body went limp, then rigid, a shockwave radiated from her body, basking the hill in a red light. I shielded my eyes. I heard a Boom! My body was sent flying backwards. I scrambled to my feet, quickly, pulling out my sword. A flash of gold light seemed to fly from Rachel's nose. Her body collapsed into a heap, steam slowly trickling from her unconscious form. Chiron skittered nervously, surveying the scene. I rushed to Annabeth, helping her up.

"What the Hades just happened?" Annabeth demanded. Alex grunted, assisting Magnus.

"I want to know the same thing," She said. "What was that prophecy? Does she normally do that?"

Chiron cautiously flipped Rachel on her back. Her clothes were on fire.

"Percy!" Chiron cried out. I responded by closing my eyes and reaching out my hand. Momentarily, the water in the ground responded to me, forming an orb above the Oracle. I unclenched my fist, dropping it. The fire doused. I stood, dumbfounded, trying to figure out what had happened. Annabeth's hand clenched onto my wrist.

"Percy!"

I snapped back into reality. Annabeth's piercing grey eyes gazed worriedly at me.

"Percy? Are you okay? I think Rachel is having problems like the gods did when Gaea rose the second time."

"What does that mean?" Magnus asked. I was wondering the same thing.

"Okay, Magnus, so Gaea is the earth goddess. She's a very powerful being that sleeps for eons, trying to build enough power to fully rise and destroy the gods. Years ago, when Percy and I were teenagers, Gaea tried to rise. In doing so, though, she invoked both the Roman and Greek forms of the Olympians. The gods had headaches, and heard voices talking to them. One second Zeus was Jupiter, and the very next he was Zeus. Two distinct personalities battling each other for Supremacy."

Magnus interrupted.

"So, why were the Norse gods not affected by this."

Annabeth ran her fingers through each other.

"Because, the Norse gods are not the same deities. You see, when Rome took over, they adopted the same gods from the Greeks. They simply renamed them and slowly changed their personalities over time through their stories and legends. The Norse gods are from a different culture. Their personalities are unique."

She paused, chewing her lip. I had no idea how anything made sense. All of the gods have different creation stories, right? So, if all the gods do exist, who really crated the earth? My mind wanted to explode.

"But. . .what if, the prophetic spirit was the same? Rachel mentioned the Oracle, the Volva, and the Augur. Those are all the spirits that influence Prophecy in their respective religions. What if, Prophecy is the same? What if, it cannot change because Prophecy always remains the same? It isn't a god, confined to its domain. I think those spirits are inside Rachel, battling for control."

I tried to process what Annabeth was saying. Gods. It made me shutter. Magnus and Alex seemed just as confused, while Hearth and Blitz nodded, as it they followed along perfectly. Hearth brushed off his suit.

"My dear, you truly are the daughter of a Wisdom goddess. Understanding like that is. . . amazing! It's so complex, no simpleton could come to a conclusion such as that." He scratched his chin. "It seems plausible. It's frightening."

Annabeth blushed. She loved being complemented on her intelligence. I was also kind of irritated that the elf called me a simpleton. I shook it off. Chiron was deep in thought. He looked at Annabeth and smiled. It wasn't completely happy, though. His expression was pained. He turned to me.

"Ah, Percy. This is why I did not want you to come back."

He caught me off guard.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He held out a hand towards Annabeth.

"The pupil becomes the teacher."

I wracked my brain for possible answers. Annabeth was just as confused, so it made me feel a bit better. He clomped over to us, embracing us both. He stood back, straightening himself.

"Remember when I told you my wish, Percy? The one the gods granted me? I would never die as long as heroes needed me."

He smiled fondly at the both of us. Annabeth was choking back tears. I hated that. Suddenly I was angry at Chiron for making my wife cry.

"Thank you for being those heroes. I couldn't think of any finer heroes to be my last."

My anger subsided. Realization dawned on me.

"Goodbye, my children."

With those final words, Chiron's body faded, leaving behind nothing. We didn't even have time to mourn because at that same moment, I heard my daughter scream.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

We Get a New Leader

"Sophia!" I hollered her name and took off from the lawn. I weaved in and out of campers who were both confused by Rachel and by my daughter's scream. I grabbed a young girl by the shoulders, probably spooking her.

"Get a medic to the big house lawn, _now_!" I told her.

I saw a few Ares campers grabbing spears, heading in the same direction. I cursed, anger beginning to set it. I saw a flash of gold in front of me. I furrowed my brow. That's the same gold flash that seemed to come from Rachel. I reached Cabin Three to see the golden light smash into the door. Sophia sobbed from inside. Archers were standing afar, trying to hit the spirit, but to no avail.

"Daddy! Daddy, help me!"

"I'm right here, Sophie! Everything's okay!" I reassured her. The gold light backed up swiftly and smashed the door again, this time splintering the wooden frame. Whatever this was, it was fast.

"HEY!" I yelled. The light stopped moving and I saw what it was. It was a boar. Around its neck sat a golden mane, shining brightly. I took a step back. I don't know what I had been expecting, but it wasn't that. I had experienced a boar before. But that Boar had been a gift of the wild from the god Pan. It was the Erymanthian Boar, a wild spirit that carried me to an old junkyard. That's a story for another time though. Annabeth and the others caught up, and I heard Blitz yelp in surprise.

"Gullinbursti!"

Hearth began fiddling with a small pouch, producing a few small stones. I had no idea what Gullinbursti meant. Luckily, Blitz continued his story as Ares campers pounded their weapons together, drawing the Boar away.

"Gullinbursti is the Golden Boar. It's the fastest animal alive, faster than even the best horse."

I remembered my friend Hazel. She could control this horse called Arion, who was also supposedly the fastest animal alive. That horse also like to eat gold. If this boar had been friendly it would have been really cool to see them race.

"How do we kill it?" I asked, watching as my fellow demigods were knocked from their feet.

"Well, it's not that hard to kill once you catch it. It's not invincible, as far as I know. The problem is getting your attack in. It simply moves too fast. It's not extremely powerful. Also, I should warn you. Legend says, although not confirmed, that it eats the face and brains of its victims. A rather nasty death."

This story was making me less confident by the second. Blitz worriedly buttoned and unbuttoned his suit.

"Daddy!"

I grit my teeth. Nothing was going to happen to my family.

"Annabeth, can you think of a plan? I'm going to get Sophia to safety."

She nodded absentmindedly, so I knew she had already been thinking of one. I rushed into the cabin to see Sophia huddled on the top bunk, bawling.

"Sophia," I called.

She sat up quickly, gazing at me through puffy eyelids. Blood was present on her left cheek.

"Daddy!"

She tossed herself down, wrapping her arms around my neck. She sniffled.

"I-I was playing in the grass when something knocked me over. Something bit me. But then, an arrow hit it and it ran away. I-I hid in your cabin, but it kept on trying to get in!"

Sophia pointed her a bite mark on her face. I caressed her cheek and nuzzled her nose, comforting her. My blood boiled. Nothing was going to hurt my family and get away with it.

"It's okay, Baby. I've got you. I'm going to keep you safe. Come with me."

She held onto me tightly as I ran back outside. Apollo's archers continued their assault. Annabeth was running towards the Hephaestus Cabin. I surveyed the scene. The Board was continuing to knock campers over. Every so often, it attempted to chew a face off. Fortunately, the Ares cabin thought to wear helmets.

 _REEEE!_

The boar was frustrated. Hearth was placing a stone on the ground, waving his arms over it. Alex suddenly changed into a Grizzly Bear. I had always thought shape shifting was cool. I had another friend, Frank, who had the same ability. The boar ran headfirst into Grizzly Alex and feel on its rump. It blinked, shaking its snout to rid itself of the daze. Magnus swung down with his sword, but missed, when the boar took off again. I heard Magnus yell.

"JACK!"

Jack was the name of his sword. The sword could talk, and attack things on its own. However, it had a downside. As soon as his sword is finished with a fight, and Magnus puts it back up, he becomes weak for a while. I began running back towards the Big House. Without any warning, my feet were taken out from under me. I flipped over, smacking my head into the ground. I covered Sophia and rolled into a kneeling position. Good gods. I was stunned from the impact to my cranium. I felt Sophia's grip tighten around my neck.

"Daddy!"

I saw another golden flash before my vision blurred. I lay on my back. Sophia had tumbled from my grip. My vision returned just in time for me to see a pig snout above me. I quickly covered my face. The boar snapped at me, drawing blood from my arms and hands. I felt a cold sensation and the attack stopped. The boar had been frozen in place in a block of ice.

"Way to go, Hearth! A freezing Rune!" Blitz exclaimed. I pushed the boar away. A rune? Was that the stone Hearth had been messing with? I rushed to Sophia.

"Baby, you okay?"

She blinked back tears.

"Y-yes, Daddy."

 _CRACK!_

The ice split, and the boar was loose again.

"Styx!" I cried, scooping Sophia up yet again. Annabeth retuned with a young camper, carrying a golden net. Yes! It was Hephaestus' net. It had been made to hold gods, so it definitely would hold our piggy friend here.

"Percy, we need to slow it down!"

I turned towards Alex.

"Alex!"

She made eye contact with me.

"Turn into something big again!"

She nodded, her body morphing into the bear again. The boar squealed, going around her this time. I cursed. Sophia continued to whimper in my arms. Annabeth stood ready to throw the net.

"Percy, do something!"

"Oh, gee, I thought I'd just leave and let it kill everyone!" I retorted. "Alex, try something else, it's not falling for the bear again. Hearth, can you freeze it again?"

Blitz answered for him, shaking his head. "It will take a moment, you cannot use the same rune's magic so quickly. There is a sort of a, uh, cool down period."

Naturally. Magic was useful, but sometimes really dumb. Alex grew bigger, transforming herself into an elephant. Man, she and Frank were going to have to meet. Jack continued flying around, stabbing himself at the monster. Alex gave a swipe of her trunk and the boar paused. Annabeth took the chance and pounced, covering the creature in the net.

 _REEEEEEEE!_

The boar struggled to free itself. Its speed was now useless. I sighed a sigh of relief. Annabeth drew her knife and stabbed the beast, ending our current predicament. Silence ensued for a few moments as well all stared at the now empty net. Sophia burst into tears, placing her face on my chest. I saw on the grass, hugging her close.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, Sophie. It's okay. I got you. You're okay! Mommy killed the monster, you're safe now, I promise."

Alex turned back into a human; Jack returned to Magnus. Both collapsed in a heap, their strength gone. Hearth and Blitz tended to their friends. Hearth tugged out another rune. I assumed it was one for healing or energy or something. Annabeth walked over to me. Her eyes also glistened with fresh tears. But I knew Annabeth's tears were for a different reason. She had just lost the one person she knew and trusted for longer than anybody else. Chiron was basically like her father when she was growing up. Annabeth, like most demigods, like me, didn't have the greatest childhood. Chiron had been there for her. Annabeth took Sophia in her arms, and they sobbed together. I chewed my lip and put my arms around them, continuing to assure them everything was okay. Campers gathered around, trying to take in the scene. A few of the newer kids were whispering. They pointed at me

"That's him!"

"So, he did marry Annabeth!"

"He saved the world twice, you know"

"Did you see how they caught the boar?"

I stood. Without Chiron, I wasn't sure who was supposed to lead now.

"Hey, uh, everyone."

I waved my hand in an awkward hello.

"Uh, for those who don't know, I'm Percy Jackson. Uh, I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Chiron is. . ." I found myself getting choked up. "Chiron is dead. He was no longer needed as a trainer. Uh," I stammered some more. I heard the dinner bell ring.

"Uh, okay. Everyone, head up to dinner. We'll talk more up there."

Slowly, they trickled towards the pavilion. I gulped, wondering what I was going to say. Annabeth sat back, wiping Sophia's tears away.

"Everything is okay, Sophie. Come on, let's go with Daddy."

She took Sophia's hand. Together, we walked to eat.

I stood where Chiron used to, all eyes on me. Annabeth squeezed my hand to say _good luck_.

"Today, our Oracle spoke a new prophecy. She said it was the final one. Chiron told us that his time as a trainer of heroes had come to an end. Then, he vanished. Tonight, at campfire, we will vote a new leadership for the camp. We will accept nominations from anyone, but we are asking that only Senior campers be nominated. This is for obvious reasons."

I paused, giving Annabeth a glance. She nodded her approval, encouraging me to continue.

"Let's not worry about the Prophecy now, though. Let's enjoy ourselves. Annabeth and I have missed out on a lot, we'd love to catch up. We'd also like to introduce you to our daughter."

I motioned for Sophia to stand next to me. She did so, keeping her eyes cast down.

"This is Sophia," I announced. There were a few " _aww's_ " and coos from female campers and certain people that had known us for years. Sophia mumbled out a hello before sitting back down. Annabeth gave her a huge smile and an approving squeeze. Sophia blushed.

"Anyway, I continued. Let's eat, and we'll worry about the Prophecy tomorrow."

Despite my best efforts to cheer up the camp, spirits were rather dull for the rest of the night. At the campfire, nobody seemed intent on participating in the sing-a-longs. The time came for voting.

"Alright, nominations?" I asked. There was silence as everyone looked at each other. Finally, one girl in the back stood up.

"My name is Martha La Rue, and I nominate Annabeth Chase Jackson"

I had two major questions: 1. Was this Clarisse's kid? 2. Can she do that?

Annabeth sat up straight, surprise visible on her face.

"M-me? I mean, I'm flattered, but I-I- have a family, and I, uh"

Annabeth didn't lose her words very often. I could see my wife's face growing red, so I stepped in to save her.

"Look, guys, we're very honored that you think of her so highly, but we feel as though you should choose someone who's been here longer."

"She's been here since she was 7! That's longer than anybody else here!" Another camper shouted.

"ANN-A-BETH!" the campers began stomping their feet, shouting her name. Magnus raised his eyebrows, grinning proudly at his cousin.

"Looks like this is settled," he said.

I raised my hands, silencing the crowd.

"Alright, then. Annabeth Jackson has been selected. Are there any objections?"

No one said a word. I turned to face Annabeth, smiling widely. Sophia gazed in awe at her mother.

"Well, then, may I introduce Annabeth Jackson, the new leader of Camp Half-Blood"

I gestured at her, while the crowd roared its approval. I sat down. Even though I had put the Camp's mind at ease, my thoughts lingered on the Great Prophecy.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

We (Try) to Decipher the Prophecy

The meeting was underway. We were going to attempt to guess the Prophecy's meaning, even though we had never guessed correctly in the past. I mean, sure, we got one or two things right, but Prophecies always had some sort of a trick. They're mean. Oh, also, don't think we forgot about Grendel. I had a feeling he was going to come into play somehow. At least I hoped so. I didn't want to have to deal this Prophecy _and_ Grendel. That would be a pain in the butt. I found myself fidgeting. We had already caught the others up on the whole Grendel situation. We had decided, as a group, that we were going to deal with that problem first. And, hopefully, it ended up being part of the prophecy.

"Okay," Annabeth started. "We've got ourselves a Prophecy."

Annabeth hated stating the obvious if she could. She was flustered.

"Okay, let's see. _The Son of Ran, dead will be, When travelers descend on the fiery tree. The Prophet's Son shall break the curse, that binds the giantess of the first. Only Magic and gods prevail, Lest Wisdom sever the mortal veil_. Magnus, Ran is the god of the Ocean, right? Similar to Poseidon?"

Magnus nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know any children of Ran. Very hard to come by."

Annabeth chewed her lip. I had no idea where she stored all of her knowledge. I barely knew half of the Greek gods, much less the Norse

"Well, what if it's a twist?" she asked. "This is a quest for the Norse and the Greeks, right? Maybe it actually means Percy. . . "

She trailed off, looking somberly at me. Good. I sure was looking for some more death in my life.

She quickly picked back up. "But, of course, we've never known Prophecies to do anything like that, so let's just take it at face value for now. The fiery tree. Magnus, know anything about a fiery tree?"

He and Alex shared a look with each other. A look similar to one that Annabeth and I had shared for years. They had an idea, but they didn't like it.

"Well," Alex said. "There might be a fiery tree in Muspelheim."

"And?" I prodded.

"Surtur lives in Muspelheim."

I just love when people give answers that don't answer my question.

"And that's bad, because. . ."

"Because Surtur is an evil deity that wants to cause Ragnorak, the end of the Universe."

That sounded about right. I surveyed the room. There were a few new faces. Mandy Tidmore, daughter of Aphrodite. Lester Chance, son of Hephaestus. Those were the only names I caught, but everyone wore an expression of fear.

"Okay, well we will assume we need to travel there." Annabeth said. "What about Prophet's son? Does that mean one of Apollo's kids?"

Blitz interjected. "Well, why that's a fine guess, I must also inform you that Freya is the god of Prophecy as well. And, as you know, Magnus here is a son of Freya. I believe the Prophecy may be directed towards him."

Annabeth nodded. "That would make sense. I've got absolutely no idea about the giantess of the first. Of the first is just such a weird phrasing for a Prophecy. It doesn't say the First Giantess, so It could mean a few different things."

Magnus shook his head. "I've got no idea either."

Sophia tugged on my hand. I looked down at her. She had been on the floor coloring. Now, she held her arms out, indicating that she wanted to be picked up. I brought her into my lap, keeping my arms around her.

"I don't want you to die, Daddy."

Of course, everyone in the room went silent, eyes on me.

"It's okay, Baby. I'm not going to die."

This was one of the reasons I hadn't wanted Sophia to be here while we discussed things. But after the attack yesterday, she didn't want to leave my side. I brushed her blonde curls away from her face. She was ready to cry. I kissed her forehead. I knew my face was turning red from everyone staring at me.

"Sophia, I have been offered many opportunities to die over the past decade. I have politely declined every single on of them. You've got me forever."

I didn't even have to lie about that. Monsters were practically begging be to die every day. Sophia's green irises sparkled with hope.

"Pwomise? Forever?" She asked.

"Forever." I assured her.

"I love you, Daddy."

I heard Mandy swoon.

"I love you." I kissed her again, and finally looked up at my audience. I saw Connor Stoll in the back, snickering.

"This is a private conversation, guys, you can keep talking!" I said, my cheeks warming up. Annabeth smiled broadly at me. She wore a proud expression. I just blushed harder. Sophia suddenly became aware of the other people. She blushed, too. I wasn't afraid to show my love for Sophia publicly, it just made me uncomfortable. Gods, I loved her though.

"Let's just figure out this final line," I said. "We've got to use the gods, like we did against the Giants in the second Great Prophecy, right?. And it says something about Wisdom severing the mortal veil? What the Hades does that mean?"

Annabeth sobered up, her smile disappearing. "I think it's talking about the Mist, Percy. The mortal veil. If we fail, the Mist will be destroyed, and mortals can see what's really happening. They won't be able to handle it. They may go into shock, and even die. It would be utter chaos, Percy"

That was a joyous thought. I sighed.

"Well, let's not waste anymore time. We've got to get going."

I didn't want to leave, though. Chills traveled my entire body. I felt as though I were signing my death certificate by going. Annabeth nodded. She was stunning when she was in charge. She seemed to glow with a different sort of light. Okay, this might be too much, but honestly, it was a turn on. Hey, I'm a guy with feelings, I can't help it.

"Okay, Percy, Magnus, Alex and I will go."

It took me a moment to register that something wasn't right.

"Woah, woah, woah, Annabeth, slow down. We can't all go. Someone's got to stay behind and take care of Sophia."

Annabeth was conflicted.

"But-"

"No, Annabeth," I tried to keep an even tone. "Look, I'll stay behind, but we can't all go."

She shook her head. I wanted to hold her tight and never leave.

"No, Percy. This Prophecy is about you, we know it is. Rachel mentioned you by name and looked right at you. I'll stay behind. Plus, I just got elected as leader last night. I suppose I can't just up and leave."

"Daddy, I don't want you to go!" Sophia cried.

"I know, but I'll be back before you know. These Quests hardly ever last that long," I told her.

I hugged her tight.

"Just give me and Mommy a moment alone. Wait here with these guys. They're nice. You don't have to worry about them. Okay?"

She nodded. I set her down and motioned for Annabeth to follow me. I led her to Cabin three.

"Percy, what did you want-"

I cut her off with a kiss, closing the door behind us. Momentarily, she returned it. She relaxed in my arms. I took in a deep breath

"Gods, Percy. It's been so long. We haven't had a peaceful moment since Sophia was born."

"I know, but let's just enjoy ourselves for a moment."

I kissed her again. She pulled back.

"Percy, you can't be serious? We've got a quest! You've got to go."

I leaned in for another kiss. She put a finger to my lips, pushing me away. Gods, I hated talking about my emotions, but I needed her to understand. If I'm being honest, I was scared. I've done quests before, but this was different. I had a family now, a daughter who loved me. I couldn't die. Rachel had looked right at me and told met his was my final Quest. It bothered me.

"Look, Annabeth. . ." I sighed. "I'm scared." I told her everything about how I felt. It pained me, but somehow, Annabeth always made it easier. It didn't seem so hard. But I wasn't going to tell her about the dream I had last week. I wasn't ready.

"I just. I might not make it back, Annabeth. I haven't felt as close to you as I used to. I love you. I need to be here for you and Sophie. Plus, it's just really hot when you take command."

Annabeth gazed at me with her stormy eyes.

"Percy, you're going to make it back. You always have. Sophia and I both love you, and you know I'm always here for you. You've just been pushing yourself too hard to be the perfect Daddy. You already are. You're distancing yourself."

She wrapped her arms around me, planting her lips onto mine. She tasted sweet. Not any particular flavor or anything, just herself. She stepped back, removing her shirt.

"We've already wasted this much time. What's a few more minutes?"

With that, she tackled me onto the bed, her hands reaching under my shirt.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

We Get off to a Rocky Start

That night, our group was camped out in a Holiday Inn. After spending so much time on the ground as a kid, I was glad I was an adult with money. Sure, the responsibility sucked, but I'm used to killing bloodthirsty monsters on the daily, so it was nothing. Alex and Magnus shared a bed, while I settled myself in my own. Hearth and Blitz had wanted to come with us, but I brought up the fact that three was a sacred number in Ancient Greece. And after the final Prophecy, I needed all the luck I could get. They were upset until Annabeth made room in the Camp's schedule for them to teach classes. As soon as my eyes shut, I was transported to another place. I had been hoping the dream wouldn't return, but I knew better.

Beside me, a river of lava flowed swiftly. After going through Tartarus, this river made me shudder. Annabeth stood slightly higher than I did, also gazing upon the scene. She clutched Sophia in her arms Without warning, vines shot from the ground, binding my wrists. I tried to struggle, but it was useless. I watched helplessly as an endless horde of monsters surfaced, attacking Annabeth and my child. Blood shot in every direction, mixed with flesh and bone. I cried out, struggling against the bonds. The beasts turned towards me, advancing at a slow pace. A demigod led the pack. Chills covered my body as I stared at the face of Luke Castellan. Luke sneered at me, dipping his sword, _Backbiter,_ into the fiery waters. He pulled it out, the tip glowing orange. He plunged it into my eye.

The dream shifted. This time, I stood in a very familiar spot. The hill overlooking Camp Half-Blood. Fire spread over the entirety of the camp. Kids screamed. Annabeth and Sophia ran towards me, calling my name. Suddenly, a wave of flames engulfed them. I watched as the heat melted their skin as if they were nothing more than wax dummies.

Again, the scene changed. I floated around in nothingness. An endless, eternal blackness. In front of me, a single flame ignited. A voice rumbled, low and guttural.

 _This is your fate, Perseus. You can't escape your destiny._

The ember exploded, searing my skin. A final image of my family burning flashed through my mind.

I screamed, waking up in a cold sweat.

I frantically groped the sheets for Annabeth before remembering I was. I blinked rapidly, wiped the sweat from my eyes, and sat up. The first hint of sunlight glinted through the shades. Magnus bolted up from his sleeping position; Alex stood ready to pounce from her spot. I gasped, my throat burning, along with my eyes. I rushed to the bathroom sink, gulping down water from the faucet, splashing it on my face in the process. Annabeth and I were one of those couples that told each other everything. Not because we felt an obligation. We wanted to. _But how did I tell her this? Hey, Honey? So, I've been having this recurring dream where you and our child die horribly by fire. And oh, yeah, this Prophecy mentions that someone will die at a fiery tree!_

"Yo, Percy, you good man?" Magnus called from the other room. I could hear his feet hit the floor.

"Yeah, I'm-I'm fine." I managed. "Just a bad dream."

I glanced at Alex through the mirror as Magnus joined her in the doorway. I could tell they both wanted to know what the dream was, but they weren't going to pry. _Gods_. Sometimes I wished I were mortal. Alex eyed me curiously.

"Let us know if you feel like sharing." She said. She glanced at the clock. "There's no sense in going back to sleep. Let's look at the shield and find out where our beast is."

She walked to the other end of the room and picked up the magic shield. This shield was great. I'd used a similar one when I fought Kronos in the past.

"Show us Grendel," Alex commanded.

A scene appeared, showing Grendel run through a chamber lined with torches. I flinched when I saw the flame. I had a bad feeling that I was going to die on this trip. Son of Ran. I'd be dead as soon as we reached Muspelheim. I thought about Annabeth, Sophia, Tyson, all the memories I had. I couldn't leave them. I had to live. I know Sophia's heart would break if I didn't make it back. Gods, stay focused, I told myself. I cleared my mind and looked at the screen. Grendel exited wherever he had been, pausing to gather his surroundings in the piercing sunlight. He sniffed the air. In the distance, I saw a familiar skyline.

"Good gods! That's Brooklyn," I exclaimed. Magnus frowned.

"It can't be this easy," he said. "We just got a Prophecy, and then Grendel's coming right for us? Something's wrong."

"Maybe this one's just going to be easy?" Alex suggested.

"Not with my luck." Magnus and I spoke at the same time. We shared a half-smile with each other.

"We have to go meet him, though," I said reluctantly. "We can't assume anything."

I grabbed Riptide from the dresser.

"Let's go."

We were making great progress on our way to Brooklyn. We were practically there, at Gateway National Park. Then, we met the talking rocks. A small trail led through the park. On two sides, about 300 yards apart, were two rocks. To be honest, there's not much to describe. They were just large rocks, both perfectly round. One did have a crack in it, though.

"Hiya, travelers!" one of them spoke cheerfully. It wasn't a good kind of cheerful. I'd heard this tone plenty of times to know that we were in danger somehow.

"Mighty fine day we're having!"

None of us said a word.

"Well, you're all just party poopers, aren't you?"

I drew Riptide. I wasn't sure if it would be much help.

"Blah, you ignorant demigods. Always jumping towards violence first. You never want to talk anything out," A female voice said. Well wasn't that nice. Two identical rocks. Yet one was a guy and one was a girl. I decided that the cracked rock was the dude. Don't ask me why.

"Who are you, and what do you want?"

"You don't know who we are?" The guy sounded hurt. I almost felt sorry for him. "Alas, it makes sense. We are not popular legend. We are the Piroboli!"

He paused. I could've sworn that I saw a proud smile appear in the granite.

"No takers? Damn Jupiter and all the gods. Does the name Terrobolum mean anything, Greek?"

I shook my head.

"Sorry, Greek or Roman, I don't know you." I responded. The rocks moved closer by five feet. The temperature increased. Magnus stepped back.

"Guys, do you guys feel that?" Magnus asked.

"The temperature." Alex confirmed.

The rocks laughed in unison.

"You cannot stop us! You don't have the power!"

I grit my teeth. I'd been told that plenty of times before. It was a pretty easy threat to ignore.

"What do you want?" I demanded

"We've been asked to stop you! We're doing just that. As we've already established, we're forgotten all the time. So, when an employment opportunity rolls around, we take it." The female rock informed us.

"And how does that work?" Magnus inquired, bringing his sword out of pendant form.

"Dammit, children! You really have not heard the legend. We combust! As soon as we get within a few feet of each other, the whole city will be on fire!"

I gulped, my dream coming back to memory. Fire. _Oh, gods, it couldn't be now, could it?_

I hate to admit it, but I froze. Percy Jackson, the brave hero, screwed up. I am a mortal, after all.

"We have to push them back!"

Alex headed for one boulder, Magnus for the other. The rocks continued rolling. I wondered if they were taunting us by moving so slowly, or they really just had to move that slow.

"Percy! We need some help here!"

I tried to move my body. With every inch of progress the Terrobolum made, the air got warmer. I snapped back to reality. Alex was closer, so I rushed to help her. I put my entire strength against the thing. It didn't make a difference. There had to be some way to stop it. I strained to no avail. They were roughly fifty feet away now. A flame spurted into existence on the grass. _Oh, gods, we were gonna die_. I tried to stab it. My blade bounced off harmlessly. There was nothing left to do. Without warning, a shout came from above.

" _Qunbula!"_

There was a loud _pop_ , and the boulder I was leaning against exploded. I crashed to the ground, my nose mere centimeters from the fire. Alex landed on top of me. I groaned.

"Sorry, Percy," she said, picking herself up, offering me assistance.

" _Qunbula!"_ I heard again. The other Terrobolum disappeared in an orangey blast.

Two figures landed between Magnus and us. Alex snarled, ready to attack the new danger. I held up my hand.

"Wait, don't! I know them,"

I stared into the faces of two people I thought I'd never see again.

"Percy Jackson?" The African-American man asked. He grinned. I returned the grin, relieved, before my smile turned grim. This really might put a twist on the Prophecy.

"I'll be damned," I said. "Carter Kane."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

We Teach an Old Monster New Tricks

I really hated to have a reunion/introduction at this time. There was a monster we were chasing, after all.

"Who the Hel is this?" Magnus demanded, brushing the dust from his clothes. He marched past Carter and inspected his wife. Alex pushed his hands away with an annoyed, yet thankful, glare. She had a lot of Annabeth-like tendencies. She was a fierce warrior, with a lone wolf attitude. She didn't always need or want any help, but she was secretly glad that someone cared for her. And Magnus, was a lot like me. He wanted to help anybody that he cared about. Magnus wrapped Alex in a hug.

"You know I'm gonna worry, Alex." It made me wish Annabeth were here. She brushed away his comment, hiding the smile playing at the edge of her lips. I turned away as he kissed her cheek.

"To answer your question, Magnus," I said, facing Carter. "This is Carter Kane, and his sister Sadie."

"And what are they?" Magnus asked apprehensively. "They don't look like Greeks to me. Or Romans."

This was true. Carter was holding a wand in one hand, and his other rested off the hilt of his _Khopesh._ Basically, that's just a sword with a curved blade. It's not a very common weapon. At least, not for us demigods. His brown hair came down to about his shoulders and he had a very powerful aura about him. Sadie, on the other hand, was pale with blonde hair that had streaks of strawberry red. She had combat boots on with a leather jacket, delivering a completely different persona from her brother, who was wearing robes. She looked like a rebellious school girl from England, honestly. Sadie wore two amulets around her neck, twisting them between her fingers.

"Well, they're magicians for the Egyptian gods."

Magnus stared. "You're kidding. Egyptians?"

"Got a problem with it?" Sadie challenged.

"Not at all."

"What are you doing here? How did you stop those rocks?" I interjected. I had questions and I needed answers.

"Those rocks were the Piroboli," Carter started.

"Yeah, so we were told," I grumbled.

"Their name means 'Fire Stone'. They were first introduced in the book _Phsyiologus_ , by the Christian Theologian Titus Flavius Clemens. Although, that's not confirmed. It was more anonymous. But that doesn't matter."

Gods, he sounded like Annabeth when he spouted out random facts.

"Anyway, the rocks were considered a metaphor for a Christian lifestyle. Clemens argued that men should stay away from all women, because men would not be able to handle their lust, hence depicted by the flame. The story goes that the Piroboli, together, could make men and women go crazy, unable to resist each other. Very similar to, uh, Aphrodite's magic, Percy."

I blushed. I know Carter didn't know my secret story, and I wasn't eager to let him know. So, there was this one time, where Annabeth and I recovered Aphrodite's magical scarf when we were twelve. Annabeth snatched it from me, claiming it had "love magic." One day, though, I found it at Camp Half-Blood, and put it on as a joke. There was definitely love magic. Anyway, long story short, I'm not talking about that day ever again, and Annabeth knows better than to bring it up. It was just as embarrassing for her.

Carter continued.

"Honestly, I'm surprised nothing happened to you two." He pointed at Magnus and Chase. "You must be very strong to resist that magic." He looked impressed.

Alex chewed her lip, seemingly annoyed.

"Or, maybe it's because I'm not all woman." She said. Carter scrunched his eyes, confused. Then, they shot up, and he smiled nervously.

"Oh. . .oh. . ." he trailed off. "Um, uh, anyway, so the only way to destroy the rocks is to fight fire with fire. We used a simple hieroglyphic spell for a bomb. Explosions are pretty much the only way to destroy them. I, uh, actually figured that out from the, uh, _Final Fantasy_ video game series." He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly, like he was embarrassed. Annabeth would have done the same thing if she had gotten her information from a video game. My heard longed for her even more.

"Okay, so how do you know so much about them?" Alex questioned. Sadie nodded in my direction.

"My big bro and I met Annabeth and Percy years ago. We found out that the Greek gods exist, as well as the Egyptian gods. After that, Carter has gone nuts in the library, studying all he can about Greek and Roman monsters, and just mythology in general. He claims he's had a vision of the end of the world and it's going to involve both parties. Something that ends in fire. He won't tell me exactly what, though. So, naturally, when we got reports from the Nome that the Piroboli were here, we came to see it personally. It seems that Carter's vision is gonna be true."

Carter glared at the dirtI didn't like this. And, yeah, I know I say that a lot. With my heritage, you just get used to it. This whole Quest seemed based around fire. Impending Doom was waiting just around the corner for me. Was it possible that Carter's vision was the same thing as my dream? Maybe he had been given a dream about the Prophecy. _Magic and the gods_. Was this the Prophecy's first twist? The Egyptians were involved, too?

"What Gnome do you talk to?" Magnus asked. Sadie laughed hysterically.

"Not like the creature, but Nome, N-O-M-E," she spelled out. "It's a Greek term, yes, but in general, its just a section of land under Egypt's rule. There's a bunch of individual Nomes throughout the World. Each one is protected by a group of Magicians. If there's any threat, the Nome's magicians are sworn to protect it. Now, Carter and I are kind of over it all. If there's an extra-large threat, we get called to action."

Carter gestured to the now blackened grass. "Today was one of those days."

Magnus and Alex tried to process all the information they just received. It was a lot all at once. I had come to terms with it all slowly over time, but it still made me dizzy thinking about it sometimes."

"So, you're telling me there's three sets of gods, all occupying North America?" Magnus said in disbelief.

"Three?" Carter asked.

I laughed. It felt good, even though it would be short lived.  
"Oh, gods, Carter. You're in for a surprise. Magnus and Alex here? They're dead and they came from Valhalla. The Norse gods."

Sadie and Carter were about ready to collapse.

"B-but. But how? Gods, are there anymore? What's next, the Cherokee gods?"

I thought about my old friend, Piper McLean. She was part Indian. Er, Native American, I mean.

"Uh, actually, Carter. That's a very real possibility."

He acted like he'd been punched. He pointed at Magnus.

"You're dead?"

"Yep." He paused. "Technically." He added.

Carter sat down, running the possibilities in his head.

"We're _einherji._ We died bravely in combat, sacrificing ourselves for someone. A Valkyrie took us to Valhalla, where we were granted hero ship. Inside Valhalla, we can't die. However, if we were to die down here in the mortal world, we'd finally die for good. No Valhalla this time."

"Percy, we need to talk, _now."_ Carter said.

I thought that's what we'd been doing. He sounded scared, as if he'd just remembered he left the stove on after boarding an airplane.

"Not here, somewhere safe."  
"Uh, we can't really do that right now. We're waiting on this creature to show up so we can kill it. Grendel. Heard of him?"

Carter paled. I mean, his skin turned ghastly white. I frowned.

"Hey, you good, man?" I asked cautiously. Sadie backed up in surprise.

"Sadie, we need to go." He grabbed his sister's hand tightly.

"Carter, what the crap?" she yanked her hand away.

"Listen to me, Sadie. This isn't our fight. Percy, when you're done here. Meet up with us. Just say my name, and I'll be there."

The siblings had a stare-off, before Sadie surrendered.

"Fine. You'd better not be screwing anything up, Carter. Just 'cause you're Pharaoh doesn't mean you know everything."

Sadie mumbled a spell under her breath, and a portal opened. Carter looked at me, as if he were signing my death certificate.

"You'll survive this one, Percy."

With that, they disappeared into the portal.

"Well, that was cryptic." Alex complained. "I think you have some more explaining to do, Percy."

I caved, telling them about my dream and how much it scared me.

"Gods, please don't tell Annabeth. I'll tell her when I'm ready. I-I just don't know how."

Magnus nodded in understanding. I wondered what they must think of me.

"I got you. But, Percy, this is some pretty serious stuff. Why did you still agree to come on this Quest if you think you're going to die?"

"I. . .I just felt like I was supposed to. I was told a long time ago not to try to mess with Fate. That's a big no-no. As Annabeth said one time: Que Sera, Sera. I think it means something like 'It is what it is.' I'm not sure." I said.

Alex scoffed. "Whatever will be, will be." She corrected me. "I mean, you're not necessarily wrong, though. You've got the gist of it."

She started to say something else, but we were cut off by a large crash.

"That must be our 2 o'clock," I quipped. I uncapped Riptide and ran in the direction of the sound. Alex shapeshifted into a large eagle, clutching Magnus and I in her talons.

"Man, I feel like I'm in Lord of the Rings!" I shouted. Magnus offered me a fist bump.

"Yes, I've actually seen that one!"

We soared over the rooftops, wind whistling past my ears. When I saw our monster, my heart stopped. He was a lot bigger than I expected. Probably about 15 feet tall. He wasn't the biggest creature I'd ever fought, but just as intimidating. I pointed out Grendel, even though I was sure he was hard to miss.

"Hey!" I shouted, trying to sound intimidating. Grendel stopped eating a chunk of the "Best Deli" store to survey his new opponents. His hairy lips curled upwards in a sinister grin.

"Remember what Blitz said," Magnus cried. "We have a limited window to defeat him before he learns our every move to defeat us."

Grendel's fur began to glow. My body felt like jelly. I felt as if my body were draining itself of energy. Alex dropped us onto the street, divebombing for Grendel's head. He easily swatted her aside. She lost focus, losing her eagle form, crashing into a nearby hot dog vendor.

"Alex!" Magnus screamed. He snarled. "Jack, attack."

His sword flew into the air, flying around Grendel, slashing and cutting. All the while, the sword belted out songs. Were those showtunes? Regardless, Jack wasn't getting much accomplished. Meanwhile, I ran towards Grendel, calling on the water from a hydrant to give me a boost. I jumped in the air, willing the water to crate a platform underneath me. It lifted me into the air, until I was at eye level with Grendel. I slashed downward, aiming for his eyes. Grendel jerked back. Riptide barely scratched his nose. Grendel's meaty hand grasped my body before I had a chance to respond. I gasped, struggling for air. I felt a rib crack. He hadn't even learned my techniques and he was already getting the upper hand. I decided not to ever underestimate an enemy ever again.

"AU-Gack!" I choked out.

Jack the sword flew by, impaling itself into Grendel's fist. The giant yelped, letting me drop. I landed on my shoulder, hearing a pop that I was sure didn't mean something good. My vision blurred. Gods, I had gotten rusty over the years. I clambered to my feet, the right side of my body searing with pain. I clutched my sword in my left hand. I stepped into the puddle of water, the pain subsiding. Water had healing properties for me. It couldn't fix anything major, but it could subside pain and get rid of a few scratches or so. I saw Magnus lunge for Grendel. Alex had regained her composure, shifting into a Gorilla. That was a good choice. She leapt onto Grendel's back, forcing him into a chokehold. I wobbled feebly over, stabbing my sword best I could into Grendel's foot. He screeched in outrage, kicking me back. I flew a good twenty feet before landing against a parked car.

My back seemed to have given out. I pulled myself from the wreckage, immediately dropping to the ground. I crawled on all fours, looking at the fight happening in front of me. Alex (in Gorilla form) had brought Grendel to his knees. The creature grunted, struggling to get Alex off. Magnus shoved Grendel's knees apart, bringing him to his stomach. His fur stopped glowing and his body suddenly went rigid. With a might roar, Grendel propelled himself into the sky. Shocked, Alex lost her grip, flying sideways into a dumpster. Her form flickered, shifting from ape to human, until she finally collapsed in human form. She stood again, ready to fight, but I could tell she didn't have much energy left. Something about Grendel made us weaker in the fight. The monster landed firmly on the ground, causing imprints where his feet were.

"You've only made me stronger, you fools," he grunted, his voice deep, raspy, and hollow. I wasn't expecting Grendel to be able to talk. He smiled again; he stretched out his hand. Water erupted from the street, knocking Magnus, who was the last man standing, off his feet. He turned into an eagle, flapping his wings into the sky.

Oh, good gods.

I tried to stand, collapsing again. My body couldn't handle any more injury. Pain coursed through every nerve. From my position on the ground, I saw Alex rush to Magnus.

"Where's Percy?" Magnus asked, looking around.

"Over here," I croaked out, unsure if he heard me. They spotted me.

"Good gods, Percy!"

"C-Carter," I murmured. My vision got blurrier.

"No, Percy, worry about him later. We're getting you back to Annabeth."

"No! She-she'll only worry. Don't mess with Fate." I couldn't go back like this. We had just gotten started. We had a quest to finish.

"Grendel didn't just learn our techniques, Percy. He adapted our powers. We can't fight him anymore. You're useless like this!" Magnus argued.

"N-no. Wait. . . on. . .Carter."

My head was spinning. I squinted into the concerned faces of my step-cousins. I blacked out.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

We Have A (Not) Pleasant (Not) Family Reunion

Light flooded the room. I blinked rapidly, adjusting my irises to the blinding illumination. (And yeah, maybe it did take me half an hour to figure out that sentence). I groaned. I slipped my feet over the edge of the bed. Fuzzy carpet met my toes. The room was completely white. Was I in a mental institution? I made sure I wasn't wearing a straight jacket. I sighed with relief. I stood, immediately dropping to my knees. My back was not feeling it. The door slid open. Sadie strut in.

"Woah, Percy. We saw you wake up on the camera. You don't really need to be moving right now."

She knelt beside me, placing a hand near the small of my back. Her touch sent tingles down my spine. Years ago, I bathed in the River Styx and gained invincibility (it was pretty cool). The small of my back was my version of an Achille's Heel. It was my weak spot. It still bothered me to be touched, even though it wouldn't do anything. Sadie lifted me to my feet and lay me face down on the bed. She walked out the door but returned again carrying an object with her.

"This is a back brace," she explained. "Carter said it'll let you walk, maybe even run, without pain, but you should definitely try to avoid very strenuous activities."

I nodded, licking my dry lips. She lifted my shirt, applying the machine to my body. I tensed out of habit.

"Did you find my ambrosia?" I asked. She nodded.

"We gave you some already. Grendel just screwed you up bad. It's going to take a few days, even with magic, for you to heal. Perhaps longer."

"Just what I needed."

She finished working on me, letting my shirt drop.

"Alright. Stand."

I obeyed. My muscles felt strained, tired. Thankfully, though, there was no pain

"Gods."

Sadie smiled sympathetically. "I can't imagine what it feels like. I'm sure you've had worse, though, right?" She gave a small laugh, eyeing me. She meant it as a joke, but it was completely true. Annabeth and I had once been inflicted by the curses of every monster we had ever killed. And then some. And those curses were really bad. I didn't respond, simply staring straight ahead. Sadie's smile vanished. She cleared her throat.

"Anyway, Carter wants to talk some more. He says its urgent." Her face clouded over. She was pissed. "He's been distant for a while now. He won't tell me anything he's thinking. We're family, he's supposed to tell me everything. And yeah, he's got Zia to talk to, but I don't think he's shared anything with her either. He's scared. I don't know what he's been seeing."

That made me feel guilty. Annabeth was my wife. I was supposed to be sharing everything with her. Yet, I was keeping my fears and my visions to myself. I tried to reason it out in my head. I'd kept things from her things in the past. And vice versa. I chewed the inside of my cheek, contemplating what I should do. Sadie turned to me.

"Please tell me everything, okay? Even if he asks you not to. I need to know."

I told her I would. She studied me for a moment before deciding I wasn't lying. Promptly, she led me to Carter. He was hunched over a desk. A book lay open next to a paper that he was scribbling notes on furiously. He muttered to himself as he worked.

"Yo, bro, Percy's up."

Carter finished his sentence and looked up grimly.

"Thanks. Can you, uh, let us talk?"

He jerked his head at the door.

"Fine. Love you, too, bro."

She left us, leaving behind a chilly atmosphere. Carter twitched.

"I've seen it, Percy."

I waited for him to explain himself. He continued his notes.

"It?"

"The future, Percy." He said as if it were obvious. I squinted, trying to follow his notes.

"So, uh, is that a new language that I don't know, or is that just gibberish?" I asked. The paper was filled with dots, circles, lines, and other doodles. They weren't hieroglyphs, I knew that much. This wasn't right. A wind rushed in, causing me to shiver.

"The future, Percy. I had a vision."

"And what happened?"

Carter's voice was beginning to sound empty, as if he weren't really there. He flicked his hand dismissively to the right.

"You, Percy? You weren't even there. How could you be? The fiery tree is there. Oh, that damned tree. Gets them every time. I tried to warn them through the Oracle. Doesn't work. Makes her mad. Mad, mad, mad, mad world."

It sounded more like he was someone else, lamenting their own failure.

"Carter!" I gripped his shoulder. He glanced at me, surprised.

"Percy! I saw it."

"Let me guess, the future?"

His eyes widened.

"Yes, how did you know?" he gasped. "Did your _ba_ see it too? So, you know what's coming? The fire, Percy, you've seen the fire?"

I was creeped out. I had seen a mentally insane person before. Her name was May Castellan, mother of. . . Luke. _Styx_ , this had something to do with my vision for sure. Luke's evil grin filled my mind. I flinched.

"My-my _ba_? Carter, you need to snap out of this, whatever this is. I've seen something. What fire?"

His eyes glowed green.

"The fire, Percy, the fire! _Son of Ran, dead will be, when travelers descend upon the fiery tree_."

His body flailed about, knocking his desk over. I backed up. I gripped Riptide, just in case things went south.

"N-no. It can't be me. I'm a son of Poseidon, not Ran!"

I had already come to terms with my imminent death, but I had been hoping I would find out that I didn't have to. Carter's form laughed, but it wasn't Carter. In his place stood a falcon-headed man. I remembered seeing him before. His name was. . . _Whores?_ No, Horus.

"Poseidon, Ran, Neptune, Hapi, they'll all be the same. Only one can survive, Perseus."

"What does that mean? Why does everything have to be so damn loose-ended!" I cried. Literally everything my life was cryptic and open to interpretation. Sometimes, I just really wanted something concrete.

"The gods, child. All of them. Speak to your precious Annabeth. She already has an idea what's going to happen. As for me, I don't have to worry about the upcoming war. I'm merely a tutelary deity. There's no one for me to fight for control from. Except for Carter here. Ah, his strength returns. We'll meet again, but perhaps not on good terms."

His form dissipated, leaving Carter in his chair, blinking. He regained his composure.

"Percy? When did you get here?"

I eyed him cautiously.

"Hey, man. Is that you in there?"

He gulped. His voice returned

"I should've told Sadie," he sighed. "I've been having problems, Percy. Ra, Horus, and some of the other gods have been inside my head, giving me visions. I think sometimes they take over. It's not like hosting them, though. I-I blackout, wake up later, and I feel like someone's been in my head. It's the future. I saw you dying, man. I don't know the details. It's a different death each time I see it, but you and your family are killed by fire. It's a fire related incident each time. And-and I see Sadie dying-"

His voice cracked. He hung his head. I don't think I ever related to anybody more than I did in this moment. I decided I had to tell Annabeth my vision as soon as I got the chance.

"How do you look into someone's eyes and tell them that you know they're about to die? Percy, this-this Prophecy is unlike anything this world has seen before. This is going to change our world as we see it."

Gods, as if I hadn't heard something like that before. I sighed. Carter noticed my expression.

"This isn't just a saying this time. This is real."

His tone indicated he was speaking the truth.

"I haven't been myself. I tried to get a message through your Oracle. Part of a spell I'd been practicing, but it messed with my head, Percy. That's why all theses voices are in here, talking to me. It's why Rachel is all messed up right now, too. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

This hit me hard. I didn't know whether to be angry, upset, sad. It was a mix of emotions.

"Why didn't you come and find us? Why try to just send a message through Rachel?"

Carter was frantic. Not in the mad way like before, but desperate.

"No! Grendel is too dangerous. You saw what he did to you. We can't let him find me and Sadie. I hate to do this to you, but you've got to finish this quest. I'll be keeping tabs on you. Sadie and I have to be a shock. It's the only upper hand we have against a creature like this. And we're going to need the help of the gods. That's going to be hard"

"I can get my dad to help." I volunteered. Carter shook his head.

"No, you don't understand. The gods will be fighting. And not what you're thinking. Poseidon won't be fighting his brother, he'll be fighting Ran, then Hapi. Maybe all three gods battling each other for Supremacy over their domain. There might be even more gods. After today, I'm not sure what deities exist. I mean, what if they all exist? What about God, with a capital G? This affects theology greatly. Is God not all powerful? So, why can he not just stop all this? But, I suppose the Christian God is all about free will. He won't intervene until his second coming, I guess. And what about the Chinese gods?"

He groaned, clutching his head.

"What are you saying, Carter?" Even before I asked, I had a pretty good idea what he meant.

"All the gods, Percy. All of them. They've been cooped up within the confines of Western Civilization with each other for too long. I believe some of the gods, such as Athena, or Thoth- they knew about the other gods existence. But others don't. But they're beginning to. Your dad's wondering why sometimes there's a storm that he didn't conjure up. Maybe that's Ran. Or Apollo is driving his Sun Chariot and suddenly, the sun rises too fast. That's Ra, trying to maintain his dominion. They used to live in harmony, but its getting to them. The Universe is trying to pull them apart. There's coming a point, where there can only be one god for each element. I know you have this quest, but I'm not sure what it can accomplish. There are bigger forces than us at play. It's suicide really."

That was comforting. I wondered if my dad was stronger than Ran. I didn't know much about the Egyptian gods. Then, it struck me. If Ran won, would that make me the Son of Ran? Would Poseidon be erased from history? How the Hades does this work? Gods, that Prophecy was all I could think about.

"So, you're saying we should give up?"

"That would be worse than continuing. You yourself have said we can't try to change Fate."

His brown eyes were full of worry. It didn't make me feel much better. I wanted to get back to Annabeth, Sophia. I never realized I would miss them this much.

"Alright. We continue, I die, and we somehow save the gods? Typical. How does Grendel fit into this?"

"I don't know if we do save them, to be honest. And that's the problem. Grendel is after power. Imagine if he could absorb the power of all the gods?"

I imagined it.

"Oh. Oh, _gods_. He would be unstoppable! He could rule the world by himself, not a single force strong enough to stop him."

Carter bobbed his head.

"Bingo. It's bad. It's not just an old enemy trying to fight back. It's so much worse."

Suddenly, the door burst open.

"Carter, Percy, we've got a problem. Grendel's trying to get to Olympus!"

Sadie was panting, out of breath. I cursed.

"How do you know?"

She gave me a bewildered glance. "You said Olympus was in the Empire State Building, right?"

"More or less."

"Well, Grendel's attacking the Empire State Building. Mortals are calling it a terrorist attack, as per usual."

I groaned as we both followed after her. Magnus and Alex lit up when they saw me.

"Percy! Thank Vanir!" Magnus exclaimed. "I was worried I was gonna have to give Annabeth bad news already."

I gave him an awkward side hug.

"Yeah, well, not today. I'm hard to get rid of. Pleasantries later, though. We've got a monster to stop. Or at least try to again."

"Yeah, we know, we were watching the shield."

Alex nodded at her wrist. I watched as Grendel scaled the building, tearing chunks out. No doubt everybody else saw someone throwing bombs or something.

"Carter, Sadie, can you get us there quick?"

"I can send you through the _Duat_." Sadie replied. "But you'll have to close your eyes, and don't move. One wrong step, and we won't be able to get you back. I'll push you through, and Carter's _Ba_ can be your guide. Remember, though, let yourself be pushed. No movement."

"That sounds dangerous."

"It is. We haven't really tried it on anybody yet. It's pretty much just theory."

"Nice, I love being a guinea pig."

Actually, that was a lie. I had been an _actual_ guinea pig before. It wasn't fun at all.

"Close your eyes," Carter commanded. "Hold hands."

I reached for Alex's had. I gripped it firmly.

"Okay, keep them closed until given the good to go."

I heard a faint sound, like a fridge door being opened. The air felt the same way. My teeth chattered. The stench of death filled my nostrils- a smell I was all too familiar with. We moved forward, like we were on a hoverboard. Minutes ticked by in silence until the frigid air grew warm.

"Open."

People screamed. Grendel ripped out another window, tossing it away.

"Give me the entrance to Olympus! I know it is here!" he bellowed, pounding his hairy fist into the wall.

Carter grabbed my shoulder.

"Percy, remember, your back was broken yesterday. That brace is helping, but too much movement and it could be fractured forever."

I nodded.

"I guess it won't matter soon, anyway."

Carter gave me a wry smile and disappeared. I turned around to my crew.

"Alright, guys. We're going to try something different. He already knows our fighting styles, so we're all going to have to do something we'd never do."

"What's that?" Magnus asked.

"Follow my lead," I responded, feeling like a badass. I mean, hey, that's a pretty awesome line. I trudged towards our evil.

"Hey! Bigfoot!"

Grendel sniffed, locking onto us.

"Returning players?" Grendel mocked. He leaped from the building, crashing down in front of us. "Pray, tell, little ones. What new strategy do you have now?"

"We surrender"

Grendel coughed in his throat.

"Surrender?" Alex cried. "The Hel, Perseus?"

Grendel grinned.

"I accept, on the one condition that you bring me to Olympus."

His meaty fist wrapped around my body.

"You only have everything to lose, Perseus." He growled.

"Two conditions," I choked out. "I take you to Olympus, and you let my friends return to Camp."

"Of course. It won't be long until I destroy that, too. Let them enjoy their miserable life for a while longer."

Alex glared at me as if I were a traitor. Magnus was miffed.

 _I have a plan_ , I mouthed. I did. It wasn't a great one, but it was the only one I had. It was too crazy. Grendel jumped again. He entered the front of the Empire State Building.

"Well, Perseus?"

"Ask for the keycard. We're going on an elevator ride."

I said a silent prayer to my dad, telling everyone to leave the throne room. I hoped he got the message.

 _I really hope she'll understand_ , I thought, before the elevator doors dinged open.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

A Costly Sacrifice is Made

I swallowed. This plan had better work, because it was about to go against everything I had ever fought for. I was having second thoughts.

 _Oh, gods. No, I couldn't do it_.

I tried reasoning with myself, but I couldn't work up the guts. Now, I was stranded alone with a monster. I would just have to think of something different. Grendel grunted contentedly, gripping my throat tighter for no reason at all. He was really getting on my nerves.

 _Ding!_

The doors opened, revealing my wife's beautiful architecture. Oh, man, it was stunning. She really overdid herself. There was a large, solid gold statue of me, holding my sword in my right hand. My left hand was stretched out. Determination showed in my eyes. Gods, the detail was amazing. I tried not to let my pride get to my head. I reminded myself to come back later when I could really enjoy the art more.

Grendel dragged me along. With his free hand, he smashed a nearby sculpture of Thalia. Anger bubbled within me. He was ruining Annabeth's hard work. I attempted to pry myself from Grendel's grip. He wouldn't budge. Grendel simply chuckled, lifting me into the air. He kicked open the doors to the Throne Room of Olympus. He tossed me, hard, to the ground, roaring in frustration at the empty space. Thank Zeus that the gods had received my message.

"You damn bastard!" Grendel growled, saliva dripping from his yellow fangs. Gods, did all monsters have to have yellow teeth? He balled his fists, smashing both into the ground beside me. I rolled away quickly, hopping to my feet.

"Oh Styx, oh Styx, oh Styx." I cursed, reaching for Riptide. Grendel charged me, looking a lot like the Minotaur at this moment. I had just enough time to raise my arms before he plowed into me, sending my flying. I landed on Zeus's throne. My entire body sizzled. I scrambled off, before I got electrocuted. Thanks, Zeus. You'd think he would cut me a break considering I was saving his butt right now. But gods don't usually care. They're quite petty. Grendel charged again. I planned on jumping off his head, similar to how I fought the Minotaur, but he anticipated it. He snatched my body out of the air, his fingers crushing my ribs. I gasped, struggling for air.

"I know every move you're going to make before you make it," Grendel bragged, licking his lips. "I know everything about you, Perseus. I've been watching you since you recovered Zeus' bolt. There is nothing you can do to surprise me."

I coughed, my vision blurring. I wondered what he'd do if I started singing _The Sound of Music_. I bet that would surprise him

"Gack!" I managed. Grendel smashed my back into the concrete flooring. He released his grip, watching me writhe in pain.

"Does it feel good, Percy Jackson? To know you've come this far? Everything is futile-"

He stopped, sniffing the air. He swiveled his neck, staring into the corner.

"Is that-" he laughed. "Good, gods, you kept it here!"

 _Mooooooo!_ Bessie cried on cue.

 _Styx._ I began wishing that I would have developed a better plan than this one. Grendel stomped towards the aquarium. Bessie was an Ophiotaurus. He was a legendary monster that could bring the end to the gods if you burned its entrails over fire. I had saved him from a net years ago, and then kept him from being destroyed by the gods. He thought he owed me. I wasn't sure what he was going to do for me, though.

"Perfect! The gods abandoned their home and left me with something even greater. This requires little effort! Oh, Perseus, thank your father for me. Once I sacrifice this creature, I will be in control of it all."

He placed his arms into the Rocky position, advancing closer. Victory radiated in his demeanor.

 _Mooooo!_

I assumed that meant _help_.

I struggled to my feet. The back brace was useless at this point. Fire ants seemed to be crawling all over my spine. It tingled.

"Grendel. Back off." I demanded. "Or I'll make you."

I'm sure I looked threatening, slumping over, sword dangling almost uselessly at my side.

"Come at me, Percy Jackson." He challenged.

I ignored the pain and charged. _Please forgive me,_ I thought. Grendel braced himself in front of the tank, preparing for my attack. I decided that I had to do the unpredictable. Oh, gods, I hated myself. Grendel raised his palm, ready to swat me away. Instead of engaging, I darted around him, inserting my sword into Bessie's heart. Bessie stared at me in shock and pain.

 _Moo_? I could tell by his eyes that he was saying _I thought we were friends._

Grendel bellowed in rage.

"AUGH! Damn you, Perseus Jackson, damn you to Tartarus!"

I'd been there. I wasn't eager to go back. He balled his fists, slamming on into my face. I crashed through the water tank, Bessie's body landing on me. The fire ants disappeared as soon as I touched the water, but my back was still pretty messed up. I pushed Bessie's corpse off, Grendel's fist smashing into my face again. Blood squirted from my nose. I coughed some up, too. I think my nose was broken now. I lay dazed on the ground A rainbow suddenly appeared above me. Annabeth's smiling face appeared, along with Sophia's.

"Hey, Percy. We haven't heard from you yet, and I was trying to show Sophia how to-"

Annabeth stopped as Grendel's paw delivered another solid sock to my chin. More blood poured from my mouth. I coughed up a storm, nearly choking on the iron taste.

"Percy!"

"Daddy!"

 _Punch!_

I think I bit my tongue that time. I hadn't been in a good-old-fashioned-beat-up in a while.

"Percy, what's going on, where are you? Oh, gods! Sophia, leave. Please, go find someone to play with"

Annabeth's eyes were full of concern and fear. She was beautiful. I really hoped I got out of this mess so I could kiss those lips again.

"Percy-"

"Stay out of this, _bitch_ ," Grendel spat. "Perseus is mine, now." He swiped through the mist.

My blood boiled. Or at least, the part of it that was actually still in my body. Grendel had smashed my wife's work and now he just called Annabeth a bitch. That was not going to fly. I climbed to my feet, legs wobbling. I curled my fingers, making the water around me rise. I shot it at Grendel's mouth. He wasn't ready, thankfully. The liquid entered his mouth, I forced it into his lungs, trying to drown him. I seethed in anger. I churned the water faster. Grendel clawed at his throat and reached for me, eyes bulging. I was going to make sure he died right here. I finally had the upper hand. But, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a flash of orange. I flinched, losing concentration. I dropped to my knees, the burst of strength gone. Grendel collapsed completely. A fire kindled in the middle of the thrones. It was Hestia, goddess of the Hearth.

"Make your final choice, Percy." She spoke kindly, sorrowfully. "You've already made your first. It was not an easy decision either. That creature was so innocent. Yet, I do not fault you, Percy. I believe that it was the best choice. Whether or not it was the right choice, we can never truly answer."

Hestia's marsh mellow scent filled my nose, calming me. I knew she was talking about Bessie. But what about that final choice?

"What choice are you talking about?" I asked, wiping blood from my face. It didn't help much, as my nose and mouth were still bleeding profusely.

"The Ophiotaurus, Percy. You killed it, it is your sacrifice."

Sacrifice? It dawned on me. I had the power to destroy the gods. Could I get rid of the Egyptian gods? Or the Norse gods? Make the battle easier to win?

"You mean. . ."

Hestia nodded. "It is not my place to influence the choices of heroes, Percy, but I would like to remind you: Do not try to change Fate, Percy. You've been told this since you found out about the gods. It remains true. Make the right choice. All choices had consequences."

I bit my lip, pondering her advice. I couldn't wipe out an entire line of deities. That's just not fair. I hefted Bessie's body over to the Hearth.

"I, Percy Jackson, sacrifice the Ophiotaurus for the perseverance of the gods."

I dropped his body over the flames. Watching it burn gave me chills. Maybe this was simple foreshadowing into what was to become of me in the near future. Hestia provided me with a warm smile (yeah, pun intended).

"You've done well, Percy. I pray that you will be able to continue. Your path has always been a difficult one. Stay well."

She disappeared into a wisp of smoke. I picked up my sword, ready to end my problems, but when I looked over at Grendel's body, it was gone. I cursed, banging my fist into a column. I was miserable. I hoped Bessie would forgive me, if I ever saw him again. I got a sinking feeling that I never would. I took a step towards the exit. I collapsed, my vision blurring. I had lost too much blood. For me, slipping into unconsciousness was just as common as eating lunch. But unlike lunch, I was really tired of blacking out.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

All Roads Lead to Monster Donut

 _What the Hades?_

I pressed my palm against my temple, trying to think straight. Was I still on Olympus? I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. My vision returned, and I saw the most beautiful woman in the world sitting across the room. Her blonde hair shined vibrantly in the light. She sat, slumped, against the wall. I got a good look at my surroundings. _Ah, Camp Half-Blood infirmary. My lovely home away from home_.

"Annabeth," I croaked out.

Her head snapped up. _Styx, she must have been sleeping._ Annabeth's expression was a relieved one.

"Percy!" She scrambled over, pressing her lips firmly on mine. She pulled back, running her fingers through my hair, scraping her nails across my scalp. She kissed me again, and I soaked in her taste. "Gods, I thought you were going to die. He pummeled you. You looked like a rookie against him."

I groaned. "Great, I love looking like I don't know what I'm doing"

She gave a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry for waking you up," I apologized. She gave me the look she normally did when I said something stupid.

"Don't you worry about me, Seaweed Brain. You're the one who's hurt. Percy, he's too dangerous. You don't need to fight him unless absolutely necessary."

I sighed, exasperated.

"I know. He knew exactly what I was going to do next every time, so, I had to do the unexpected."

I took a deep breath. I remembered the gaze Bessie gave me before he died. It was pitiful.

"I killed Bessie," I confessed. Annabeth blinked.

"What?!"

"It, it was the only way. Grendel had the upper hand. He was going to do the sacrifice, and he thought I was going to try to stop him, but, I didn't. I killed an innocent creature."

Annabeth nodded, following along.

"You went completely against your nature. It's okay, Percy, you had to."

She rubbed my shoulder, reassuring me. She was troubled, though. She bit her lip and stared to the right, the way she always does when she's really deep in thought.

"You're going to have to change yourself to fight him. Percy, this might not be a good idea. What if. . . What if it changes you permanently?"

It took me a minute to realize what she was saying. _What if you aren't the same caring person when this is all over?_ I started to have doubts. _What if I was finally starting to break?_ I dismissed the thought.

"Nothing could ever stop me from loving you or Sophia," I told her. She nodded, trying to convince herself. I felt awful. Annabeth and I had been through so much together and we had always stayed strong. Annabeth more so. There were only two times when I had seen her vulnerable. Once, when she heard the song of the sirens in the Sea of Monsters. And secondly, when we were in Tartarus and she had been cursed, thinking that I had abandoned her. Annabeth had sounded so pitiful, calling out to me. I knew that if I died, or changed, it would break her. She had always been prideful of never being driven by emotions, but secretly, I knew her feelings control her more than she let on. She loved me (almost) as much as I love her. Annabeth was perfect. My guilt returned. I had to tell her about my dreams. I gripped her hand.

"Hey, we're going to be okay," I said. "And, uh, there's something I've been meaning to talk about."

I mentally kicked myself for starting my sentence that way. She studied me, a scared look in her eyes. That was a great phrase to use for a break up or to end marriage.

"Yes?" her grip on my hand tightened. She swallowed, her eyes flittering nervously.

"I've been having these dreams."

Annabeth relaxed a little. I told her everything in as much detail as I remember. After I was done, I told her about the quest so far and how I'd met with the Kanes. She was concerned, naturally.

"Percy, I know I've told you before you don't have to keep anything from me."

I was looking for more of an _it's okay_ , but that was typical Annabeth to respond with a berating.

"It's just your fear getting the best of you," Annabeth said. "I don't like this Carter thing. We haven't seen the Kanes in years and suddenly they're back. There's something more going on. We're missing something. Maybe you're having those dreams as an offset of Carter ruining Rachel's mind."

Annabeth was irritated. I tried to see that as a possibility, but I couldn't. Annabeth was trying hard to believe it herself. She wrapped my head into a hug, pressing my face to her chest. I snaked my arms around her waist. I couldn't help but smile. Gods, how did she smell so good all the time?

"I love you, Percy." She sighed.

"I love you, Wise Girl," I responded, getting a smile from her. I hugged her for a moment longer, then pulled away. We had to get going.

"Where's Sophia?" I asked.

" _Di immortales_! Sophia!" Annabeth exclaimed, smacking her forehead. "Oh, gods, she's worried sick about you!"

She grabbed my wrist, tugging me out of bed.

"Can you walk?"

I attempted to move. _Whew._

"Yeah, I'm good," I confirmed. Annabeth pulled out the door. I followed her through Camp Half-Blood to the big house. Halfway there, I was starting to feel fuzzy.

"Annabeth, give me a sec," I wheezed, slumping to the ground. She placed a hand protectively on my arm.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just moving too fast too soon, or something," I said.

She handed me a Ziploc bag.

"Here, take some ambrosia."

Ambrosia was food of the gods. It could heal almost anything for a demigod, but it was super deadly for mortals. I graciously gobbled it up, the fuzzy feeling fading fast. I stood.

"Alright, let's go."

We finished the walk, entering the front doors. Sophia was on the ground drawing pictures. Magnus and Alex relaxed on the couch. Sophia lit up when she saw me.

"Daddy!" she bounced into my arms. "Are you okay, Daddy? Mommy and me saw you being beat up."

Tears sprang to her eyes. She traced an outline along my face. Only then did I realize that I had some scars.

"I don't want anything to happen to you, Daddy. I love you and I'll miss you. I wouldn't have anybody to play with. Ugh, Daddy, I love you. You're my best friend!"

Gods, Sophia knew how to murder someone. She had just ripped out my heart. I held her close.

"Everything's okay, Baby. I'm here, I'm here. I love you, Sophie."

I nuzzled her nose. She squeezed my neck firmly. Annabeth rubbed circles approvingly on my back.

"I'm tired, Daddy. Can we go to bed?"

I laughed. Kids were great.

"Sure thing, Sophie." I kissed her cheek, setting her down. It's weird how being unconscious makes you tired. I mean, it's basically sleeping, right? You'd think you'd wake up feeling great, but you don't. I was exhausted. I turned to Magnus.

"Well, that sucked." I said, spreading my arms.

"Wish you would've told us your plan," Alex commented grumpily. I winced at her tone while she crossed her arms.

"Sorry about that. It was spur of the moment. I didn't want you to get hurt. I honestly wasn't expecting to make it down from there. I thought you two could at least survive." I explained. Alex softened a little. She pursed her lips.

"Well, still. Whatever. Thanks," she managed. Alex was definitely reluctant to say anything.

"I appreciate that, Percy, but we brought you into this fight, so we deserve the chance to die, too," Magnus said, placing his hand on Alex's thigh. Alex glared at nothing in particular. I made a mental note to include her in the future. Sophia squirmed at the mention of death. I rubbed the top of her head.

"Well, we've got a long road ahead of us," I said. "Let's get some sleep and we'll get back at it in the morning"

We split ways. I tucked Sophia into the top bunk in my cabin, while Annabeth and I shared the bottom bed. Twin beds were clearly not made for couples. I ended up hanging half my body off the edge to give Annabeth some room. That night, I had another fiery dream.

I stood atop a skyscraper. I wasn't sure where exactly. I was just standing over a city. And, as you probably suspected, it was on fire. A hand pushed me. I fell in slow motion, the flames growing hotter. As I neared the ground, I saw Annabeth and Sophia laying, dead, on the grass, the fire turning their bodies black. Next to them was my dad, Poseidon. His body was wrapped in a net, also burning. On top of Poseidon was my mother, a trident through her heart. I wanted to cry out, but my voice didn't work. My cheek smashed into the dirt and I woke up, shivering and sweating.

I was sprawled across the rug in my Cabin. Annabeth must have heard a thump or sensed the shifting of covers. She peered over the mattress, whispering.

"Percy, honey, are okay?" She sounded more like a mom every day. She rubbed the sleep from her concerned eyes. I crawled back under the covers, taking deep breaths to calm my throbbing heart.

"Talk to me, Percy." Annabeth demanded, placing her hand on my waist. We were facing each other. I kissed her, then told her of the brief dream.

"Gods, when the Fates give us nightmares, they really stick to the same themes. They're just trying to taunt you with this fire thing. It needs to stop." Annabeth lamented. I agreed. "Just go back to bed, Percy. Your dreams don't always come true."

She didn't believe herself. I could already see her writing my eulogy in her head. I just wanted to curl into a ball and die right then. My heart sank. I sighed, kissing her forehead, drifting back to sleep.

The next morning, Sophia didn't want me to leave again. She began crying, which made it even harder for me to want to leave. She refused to let me go until I promised her the impossible.

"I'll come back, Sophia," I promised, kissing the top of her head. She sniffled, letting go of my hand.

"Bye, Daddy. Hurry back. And stay away from the monster this time."

I told her I would and set off again with Magnus and Alex.

"What's the shield say?" I asked. Alex held it up for me to see.

"I can't make out what it says," she replied.

I squinted at the images. Grendel stood at the crest of a hill, looking at a building below him. I groaned. I recognized the building from my previous adventures. Man, history always seems to repeat itself. That must be where déjà vu comes from. Grendel was licking his lips hungrily, staring at a Monster Donut (trademark applied for).


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Nostalgia Isn't Always Sweet

"Monster Donut? Isn't that, you know, a bit on the nose?" Magnus asked.

It was, I had to agree.

"Well, you know how those mortals are," I said. "They just think its just a large donut chain. It never occurs to them."

Alex scratched behind her ear.

"So, it's literally a store exclusively for monsters? Why have I never heard of it?"

"Uh, probably because it's a store exclusively for monsters," I retorted. Alex glared at me.

"I can stand Magnus most of the time, but two smart asses are annoying," she grumbled.

Magnus rubbed her shoulder, smiling to himself.

"The only problem is," I said, "is that I don't know where this Monster Donut is. I've really only ever been to one, and it was at the Sea of Monsters. . . Oh, Styx."

This was going to be bad.

"What?" Alex demanded.

Why hadn't I seen this before? Although, it made me feel better that Annabeth hadn't thought of it either.

"Grendel! He's going everywhere to gain power. He's not just going to kill the gods; he's going to kill monsters, too. He's at the Sea of Monsters. He can kill Scylla, Charybdis, any of them. These are huge monsters! He's taking everything the slow way."

Magnus widened his eyes.

"Are you saying that he's killing monsters first? Then, he's going for the gods?"

I shook my head.

"Not initially. He's going to absorb the monsters and then take us on. Once he kills us, then he's going for the gods. Now, that's assuming that there are any gods left, seeing as they're all about to fight each other."

Alex cursed. "Great. We couldn't even fight him before he had all these extra powers. We're screwed. Might as well kill ourselves now and get it over with, because this is a damn suicide mission."

I churned ideas around in my head. Alex had a point. This was almost pointless. But I knew better than to cheat a Prophecy.

"We need to get to the Sea of Monsters," I decided. "I can get us there by boat. It'll be the fastest way."

"What about flying?" Alex asked. "Oh, wait, you don't do that. What about your Pegasus, though?"

"Well, I don't really want to bring anything or anyone else into this fight unnecessarily. Plus, I don't know if I could get back there on land. I kind of have this thing where I can navigate the Sea without really thinking about it. I just know the coordinates."

"Well, then, by boat it is." Magnus announced.

We searched for the nearest pier for about thirty minutes, until we found a sail boat. It took a lot of convincing for Alex to think that this was our best option. I had tried to control a motor boat before, and it just wasn't the same. The boat didn't react the same way. I could easily control the sail boat with my powers. Also, we wouldn't have to worry about gas this way.

"Okay, guys, I'll be honest with you. After we get there, I might be really tired. Controlling the water for that long is going to drain me. I know a safe house we can stay at."

Alex regarded me like I had just ruined her trip. Maybe she was still mad about the whole Olympus thing. But, I mean, I did it for her partially. I ignored her expression and prepared the ship. We set sail and I gazed into the glistening waters as we chugged along. I brushed my fingertips across the surface.

 _Dad?_

No response.

 _Hey, Dad, if you're still there, we're gonna need some help fighting this Grendel guy._

I don't exactly know what I was expecting, but I know I didn't get it. I sighed, turning my body to survey the endless blue in front of our vessel. Alex and Magnus held hands It was kind of romantic. I was jealous that they had each other. I chewed my lip. I felt a vibration in the waves. I paused. Another vibration sent a large ripple through the ocean.

"Dad?" I asked aloud. Magnus turned towards me.

"Is that Poseidon?"

"I'm not sure," I admitted. Presently, we got our answer. A figure rose from the foam, water cascading down. It was a woman, her entire body made of liquid.

"Who are you?" I demanded

"I am Ran!" She cried indignantly.

I pursed my lips.

"Uh, I thought Ran was a dude? Didn't you tell me Ran was a dude, Magnus?"

"Man, I thought he was!"

Ran cried out in anguish.

"Damn you humans! Everyone always thinks I am a man. They confuse me with my husband Aegir! I will never understand the mortal mind. They remember my name, but my husband's deeds. Damn them! I blame the Norsemen. My name means thief. Doesn't have anything to do with the sea. That's why there's confusion. All because of those foolish bastards."

I gulped. I had to make sure not to anger the goddess even more. One, she was supposed to battle my dad at some point. I had a sinking feeling that maybe she already had. And two, we might need her help to defeat Grendel at some point. Ran continued to throw a temper tantrum, shaking water all over the boat. It was at this moment where I realized that we had stopped moving.

"Well, it doesn't matter," Ran snapped. "Heroes always think they are better than the gods and, perhaps morally, they are. But you are not stronger than the gods."

"Okay, maybe, maybe not," I interjected. "Anyways, what do you want from us?"

Ran glared at me. I got that look a lot from people who want to kill me.

"I came as a courtesy, Percy Jackson. I go to fight your father now. I must warn you. If he loses, your father will begin to fade from your being. You will be my child. And I only help my children if I like them."

Ran floated down next to me, her watery form hovering in my face.

"I'd suggest you impress me on your pointless Quest. Or else you might find yourself at a loss of. . . ability."

She chose her last word carefully, as if it were a hint for something. She sprouted back above the sea. She waved her hand. Water spiraled at her command, creating a net.

"Off to battle!" She announced. "Heed my warning, Percy. Don't always count on your parents."

She dove down, leaving us drifting quietly. I slumped into my seat. My dad was about to die and so was I. Magnus shifted nervously in place.

"She's not necessarily going to win," Magnus offered.

He was trying to help but it was futile. I had a gut feeling that my dad wasn't going to be able to put up a fight. I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. You ever have those moments where you're upset and people try to help you but for whatever reason, you just _want_ to stay upset? That was me. Just wanted to curl up in a ball and dream my nightmares in peace.

"We're almost there," I said, propelling the boat forward. "I've been moving us quick."

Alex just stared at me, like she was imagining how much she'd enjoy my funeral. She made me nervous. She was intimidating, like Thalia. (But don't tell Thalia I said that. It'll go to her head). I wondered if she liked me or not. Maybe I was just a valuable asset to her. Necessary for the quest, for the protection of the world, but not for anything else. Just another cog in the machine. (Did I use phrase right? Annabeth said it once. She sounded smart when she said it).

After another half hour or so, I guided us into the safe house on the outskirt of the Sea of Monsters. We didn't really have time to settle in. For all we know, Grendel had already torn apart the Monster Donut. We were just here to follow the trail. Now, you're probably wondering why we didn't use the shield like a T.V. and just watch his every move. That's because it's a magic item. And an item like that has its restrictions. We can only see a little bit at a time. It has a recharge time. And yeah, that sounds like some BS, and it is, but I don't write the rules of magic. Talk to the Greeks for that. Or the Egyptians. Or whoever it was that developed magic.

We hopped off the boat and gathered the gear that we needed. I led Magnus and Alex in the direction of the Donut shop. I started feeling nostalgia. I missed Annabeth and Tyson. They had both been with me last time I was at this safehouse. A hydra had attacked us then. I was _not_ nostalgic for that. We crept up the hill that overlooked the donut shop. The store was abandoned. Not a single monster was in sight. We were too late. I groaned in disgust. We tromped down the hill to inspect the spot.

Monster Donut was in pristine condition. Elevator music played over loudspeakers. Who knew it was soothing to monsters? The entire inside of the building looked like a 1960's diner. It was pretty clear donuts wasn't the only thing they were selling. There was an ice cream machine, a grill that was still sizzling, bright red booths, ketchup and mustard bottles, the whole works. Magnus picked up a ketchup bottle.

"One hundred percent real sheep's blood," he read. I swallowed, growing sick. His face was pale, too, as he set it back down on the table.

"That's unsettling," Alex commented, even though she didn't look very bothered. I had to figure her out. I made a mental note to have a long talk with Magnus later. We continued to look around for clues, but found none. We exited, surveying the outside.

"I'll Iris Message Annabeth," I volunteered. "She might know what to do."

I made a spout of water and dug a drachma from my pocket. Momentarily, Annabeth's face appeared. It was red, blotchy, and distressed. My smile instantly fell. Annabeth had been crying. She never cries.

"Annabeth, what's wrong?"

"Oh, gods, Percy. I can't find Sophia! She went missing shortly after you left, I've looked everywhere!"

Worry shook my body. I ran through the possibilities in my head. Best case, she was hiding somewhere in camp. Worst case, she was being tortured by some monster. The latter seemed more likely.

"It's okay, Annabeth, it's okay. You'll find her. She's. . . she's probably just hiding."

That for sure wasn't true. If Annabeth searched everywhere, by Zeus, she had searched everywhere. She nodded, trying to convince herself.

"Did you find Grendel? What are you doing now? Tell me everything." Annabeth said. She wanted a distraction. I started to tell her but at that moment, the spout of water disappeared. What the Hades? I tried to create another mist, but I couldn't. I concentrated, my face growing hot and strained.

"Woah, Percy, man, calm down. What's wrong?" Magnus cautioned, moving his hands in a "slow down" motion.

"I-I can't-" I sputtered. My powers weren't working.

"You can't?" Alex challenged, raising an eyebrow.

I stood, defeated. A wave crashed to the shore, a woman emerging onto the sand. Ran. In her hand, she held the trident of Poseidon.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Follow the Golden Skull Road

"Hello, my child," Ran greeted me, coming to a stop in front of me. I suddenly felt very weak. Ran twirled the trident in her hands, admiring the workmanship. She caressed the tip with her nails, grinning wickedly.

"Your father was easier than I expected. Almost as if he didn't want to put up a fight at all. But nonetheless, his motives do not matter. I'm your Daddy, Percy!"

She spread her arms, as if expecting a hug. Ran laughed, soaking in her victory. I wanted to throw up. To state the obvious: this wasn't good. I clenched my fists. Magnus stood defensively next to me, looking ready to take on the world. Alex seemed agitated, standing in a defensive manner as well.

"You may, or may not, have noticed. I restricted your access to the power of the sea. Perhaps, if you impress me, I'll let you have it back. At the same time, though, I could not care any less whether you live or die. But, I will be watching you."

"Is Poseidon dead?" I questioned through grit teeth.

"Well, that is a complicated question, now, child." Ran was clearly enjoying herself. "As you know, gods never truly die. They simply fade. I captured your father in my net, dear boy. And I stripped him of his power. The more I rule his domain, the more he fades until, eventually, he is dead. But don't worry. With Grendel on the loose, it will be quick. Just a tip, follow the Yellow Brick Road. It will lead you to what you fear most, which, unfortunately for you, is exactly what this Quest needs."

She paused. "Well, it's less brick, and more skull. Oh, well!"

She tapped my nose with the Trident.

"Make me proud!"

She exploded into a mini flood, dousing me. For the first time that I could remember, I was wet. Magnus placed a hand on my shoulder.

"We'll figure this out, Percy."

"Will we?" I shot back bitterly. "How am I supposed to finish this journey if I can't use my powers? That's what makes me powerful. I can use a sword alright without them, but I'm virtually useless."

My bad luck was coming full circle it seemed. I raced through the possibilities. There was no way we came out on top.

"Okay, she said my dad was just captured, right? What if we free him? Does he get his powers back? Let's find my dad."

Magnus shuffled his feet. Alex spoke up.

"That's not the Quest. Its out of the way and no guarantee it will be successful. Let's keep doing what we're doing."

"No guarantee that will be successful either! Bang up job we're doing right now!" I retorted. I stretched my hand, trying as hard as possible to create a stream of water. I roared in frustration.

"Zeus _dammit_! How can gods restrict their kid's powers? Why didn't they do that thousands of years ago when their kids got out of hand and nearly destroyed the world?"

"There's probably more to it that we don't realize," Magnus said. "Ran said she restricted your powers, not that she took them away. Maybe you just have to figure out how to tap into them again."

I punched the wall of the Monster Donut.

"I can't do this! My daughter is missing, I've lost my strength, and I'm supposed to burn to death!"

Alex snorted and turned away, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Coward."

I stopped. Annabeth was the only other person on this planet who had ever called me a coward before. At the time, I think she was right. But that was when I had ever reason to be. I squinted at Alex.

"What did you call me?"

She stared me down.

"You're a damn coward, Perseus Jackson."

Her gaze dared me to disagree.

"I don't think you know who you're talking to," I said evenly, keeping my temper in check. "I've been through the heart of the Sea of Monsters, held up the sky, traveled the Labyrinth, fought Kronos. I mean, I've been through fucking Tartarus, for Zeus' sakes. I jumped in there to protect Annabeth and you want to call me a coward? I'm sure I've had my moments, but I'm far from being a coward."

I was heated. I don't typically get offended, but Alex didn't know me. Magnus tried to intervene. Alex shoved him to the side.

"Take Annabeth out of the equation. Take everyone you've ever cared about out of the picture."

I was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"If you didn't care about Annabeth, would you have gone through Tartarus?"

Gods, that hit home.

"I'm not saying you wouldn't have volunteered eventually. I'm sure you're a good person, but would you have jumped in so willingly?"

Maybe she knew me better than I thought. Most every choice I had ever made was based around those I cared about.

"I-I don't know," I confessed

"Exactly. Your motivation is everything you care about. Why don't you use that to your advantage here? What would Annabeth do?"

Like I've said before, I hate logic. Annabeth wouldn't want me to give up. I had to finish this and find Sophia. She could be in some sort of danger. I was determined. Maybe I wasn't completely a coward, but maybe I was closer than I thought. Gods, I needed some help. I said a silent prayer.

 _Dad, if you can hear me, I really need some help. . . if you're able. Why would you not fight back?_

The three of us stood in awkward silence until I saw something wash up on the shore. I looked at it bewildered. Alex and Magnus followed my gaze. I jogged to the object, scooping it up. It was a solid gold skull, perfectly chiseled to show every feature in great detail. Written on the temple was a simple inscription in Greek: _Trust the Prophecy_

"Can you read that?" Magnus asked.

"Trust the Prophecy. I said a prayer to my dad. I think this is his response."

"Well, what do we do with this?" Magnus followed up. Alex pointed to our right.

"I think we head over there."

There was a trail of Golden Skulls. They were five across, cemented together with gold as well. Gods. That was unsettling.

"Well," I said. "Follow the Golden Skull Road?"

"Follow the Golden Skull Road," Magnus confirmed.

"Follow, follow, follow, follow, Follow the Golden Skull Road." I finished. "Should we link arms?"

Magnus chuckled. Alex looked on in disgust. "What the Hel are you talking about?"  
"The Wizard of Oz," Magnus said. "My mom showed it to me when I was little."

"Same," I said.

"That's incredibly stupid," Alex decided. "Let's just go."

So, we did. The path led straight under the rock face, descending slowly down. I sniffed, getting a familiar whiff of death. The color drained from my face.

"Oh, gods."

"What?" Magnus glanced at me.

"We're in the Labyrinth." I said.

They both stopped, looking at the surroundings. A chill seemed to settle over the corridor

"How sure are you?"

"I can't forget that smell. This is definitely the Labyrinth. And I can just. . . feel it."  
"Then we'll stay close," Magnus said. He shuddered. "Annabeth has told me stories."

I was more nervous now. We continued down the path, making sure we kept on the right path. It seemed like we were traveling for hours. Then, the road led directly to a rock wall. Vines entangled the walls, tree branches sticking out of the ground. It was a dead end. I groaned; Alex cursed. We were stuck in the Labyrinth with no where to go. I looked behind us. The golden skulls were gone.

" _Styx_! The path disappeared!" I cried out. "Okay, okay, let's not panic. _Styx_!"

"What about a hidden door?" Magnus suggested.

"Yeah, that's actually a really good idea," I said.

We began scrambling for and entrance. After a while, I realized I still had a skull in my hands. I studied it. Next to me, a stick stood erect, with two eye-sized prongs. Hm, suspicious.  
"Guys, I think I got it."

I slowly slid the skull over the branch so that the eye holes were gouged. Nothing happened.

"Maybe it's a lever?"

I pulled back. There was a click, followed by a rumbling. The foliage disintegrated. The rock face crumbled, revealing a new room. A rope bridge swung perilously over a large chasm. A sulfuric smell rose from the depths. In the middle of the cave was a large, skull temple. What was with all this skull imagery? It was very unsettling.

"Perseus! Welcome to my temple!"

The voice was familiar, but I couldn't place it. The tone was one of disgust and anger.

"Come on in. I've been waiting on you."

I gave a sideways glance at my friends and shrugged.

"I mean, we might as well," I said, trudging along. I stepped onto the bridge, a shrill creaking echoing off the walls. Deciding I didn't have any other choice, I walked across the bridge. Amazingly, I didn't die. Magnus and Alex soon followed. Except Alex turned into a large eagle and flew Magnus across.

"Gee, thanks for that offer," I muttered. We entered the temple cautiously. It was pitch black inside. After a few moments, I heard a _fwoosh_ sound and torches lit up the temple. I flinched, pulling Riptide from my pocket. At the far end, about 400 feet away, a man sat upon a throne.

"Ah, but the sword away, Percy. You know it won't work on me. I'm what you fear most."

I recognized the voice now.

" _Styx_ , this is a trap," I said, turning to Magnus. "We need to go,"

"What?"

"No, Perseus! You can't leave yet. You just got here!"

I heard a snap. Suddenly, my body was forced into a chair that appeared out of nowhere. Black vines sprouted out, restricting my body. The same happened to the others. Without warning, we shot forward to the front of the throne. I grimaced, glaring at our captor. I stared into the face of Phobos.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

Nothing to Fear but Fear Himself (and that other scary stuff, too)

Phobos smiled widely, cruelly.

"I see Ran has kept her end of the deal," he announced. "I get my revenge on Percy Jackson, and she gets rid of Percy Jackson."

He glanced dismissively at the other two.

"Eh, I guess I'll have some fun with them, too,"

He gripped me by the scruff of my shirt, staring into my soul. His eyes were black, lifeless, and empty. I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I was a little bit scared. I mean, this was the god of fear and all. This wasn't my first run in with him. I had helped Clarisse recover a war chariot from him years ago. I had defeated him in battle back then, but he definitely had the upper hand at the current moment.

Phobos clicked his tongue, studying his prizes.

"So, the usual?" I asked. "You're going to vow to kill me?"

Phobos gave me another evil grin.

"Well, now, Percy, you know it's not so simple. I'm going to kill you, yes, but I'm going to scare you to death. It is my forte, after all - my specialty."

I scoffed. His eyes narrowed. He straightened up, brushing his leather jacket off. He dressed like a biker. Not quite like his dad, Ares, though. More like the dude they let in the Biker gang because he's the cousin of someone's brother who thinks he's a badass.

"There's nothing you can do to me. You showed me my fear years ago and I overcame it. Try again."

Phobos laughed, his voice reverberating throughout the chasm. Magnus and Alex gave me a look like I was crazy. I could already see the fear on their faces.

"Percy, man, fears change. You have a family now, don't you?"

A lump formed in my throat. I didn't say anything. It was really off-putting that he was addressing me like we were best friends. I couldn't remember the last time a god trying to kill me called me "man."

"Ah, yes, that's what I thought. Although, I do suppose you could overcome your fears again, but I doubt that will happen. Shall we begin? Everyone pick a number one through ten?"

We didn't answer

"Aw, Hades, you guys aren't fun. Alright. I'll close my eyes," Phobos continued. The vines started swirling around in a circular motion.

"And-a one, and-a two, and-a three!" Phobos pointed in front of him to Alex. Her face went white. She struggled against the bonds. They slackened, and she dropped to the floor. Suddenly, I felt like my mind was being transported through the ethereal plane. I was seeing everything Alex was seeing.

She was in a wide-open field. A large, towering man stood far above her. She whimpered, her body quivering as if she were out in the snow.

"L-Loki. . ."

Loki didn't respond, simply smiling evil-y at Alex

"Daughter, you're still scared of me? After all these years, I'm still your greatest fear? Ha! It's flattering, I suppose. Let's make that fear permanent, how about that?"

He reached down towards Alex. She seemed to be frozen in fear, unable to move, despite how much she struggled. Loki's finger glowed with an orange light. He placed it on Alex's chest; she screamed.

My vision returned to normal. Alex was still crying out in agony. She ripped her shirt off. Where Loki had touched her was a large circle that appeared to have been burned into her skin. I gulped, turning away. Magnus struggled to escape, sputtering curses at Phobos.

Phobos eyed him, eventually putting his gaze on me.

"You know, Percy, it's weird how the human brain works. It's truly astounding how much you people are driven by your compassion for one another. So many fears are about something bad happening to yourselves or those you care about. And you're no different from the masses, Percy. No matter what you've been told your whole life."

Phobos paused, letting Magnus drop to his feet. Magnus scrambled over to Alex.

"Him, for example," Phobos continued, "He just witnessed his greatest fear. Alex got hurt, and there was nothing he could do about it. And you, Percy. Your fear is real this time."

He gestured with his hand to the corner of the palace. I froze.

"Gods, no. . ." I murmured.

I watched in horror as Sophia walked towards the edge of the floor.

"Daddy! Daddy, why did you leave me? Daddy, is that you?"

She peered into the boiling lava below. Phobos twisted his finger and Sophia turned around.

"Daddy?"

I seriously hated how much of my life mirrored itself. Annabeth had thought I left her one time while we were in Tartarus. I had never heard her that scared before. Now, here was my daughter, scared for her life, wondering where I could have gone.

"Sophia! I'm right here, baby," I called out. "I'm right here!"

She continued her mindless walk in a circle. I struggled against my bonds. Phobos snapped his fingers, he disappeared, I fell to my feet. I sprinted towards Sophia. Magnus was helping Alex to her feet.

"Percy, wait! It's not real!"

As much as I wanted to believe that, I couldn't. I knew it was. Phobos told me my fear was real this time. This was why Annabeth couldn't find Sophia at Camp. Sophia had been taken. My heart pumped faster with every longing step I took. Sophia was too close to the edge. As I ran, the world seemed to be dissolving around me. The palace faded, the path faded. Roots sprouted up in their place. The lava remained, however, churning about beside my child. It formed a waterfall (or, uh, maybe a firefall?)

"Sophia!"

She was still in her trance, unable to hear me. I was so close now. A few more steps.

"Percy, this isn't right! Percy, this is a trick!"

A man in black appeared next to Sophia. He was tall, with a pointed face. In short, he looked like a bad guy. He gave Sophia a shove.

"No!" I yelped. Sophia snapped back to reality.

I reached over the edge before the slipped out of reach, yanking her firmly back to safety. I set her on the ground.

"Oh, gods," I breathed. But my joy was over just as quickly. The ground shifted, rocks crumbled, and I dropped towards the river of fire below.

"Daddy!"

I wanted to find something to grab onto, but nothing was available.

The man in black watched me fall.

"Welcome to Muspellheim." Was the last thing I heard.

A/N I usually don't leave these notes, but I just wanted to apologize for the long wait and the short chapter. I just wanted to give you a little bit of something so you didn't have to wait any longer. And apologize for the cliffhanger I left you with. The end of the college semester came up and I had to study hard. And it paid off as I have a degree now. Thanks for reading, and always leave feedback, whether good or bad. It helps me to write better.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Voices

CARTER POV

I poured over Ancient texts and modern history books, trying to make sense of what was happening. It was becoming increasingly difficult each passing day. I couldn't let my sister know. She doesn't need to worry anymore than she already does, but I'm messed up. She always acted like I was a genius, which to be fair, isn't too far from the truth. Now, though, I felt like a schizophrenic. I had at least a thousand voices talking to me all the time- various gods and goddesses. They all tried to talk louder than the others, drowning every other voice out. Eventually, I couldn't even hear distinct phrases anymore. It was just a constant buzz growing louder and louder. I clutched the side of my head and yelled in frustration. Suddenly everything stopped. Dead silence swept over the room. I blinked, listening to my own breath for a moment. I looked around. My study was beginning to dissolve. Black vapor rose steadily through cracks in the floor, like chimney smoke on a snowy day.

"Carter."

I recognized the voice. I swiveled, staring into the face of a Jackal. A very familiar Jackal.

"Anubis? What's going on?

"You're hearing voices, aren't you?" he asked, dodging around my question. I hated Ancient deities. They were always doing that. Sometimes I wish I could be told something straight up without having to solve a riddle. I swallowed, his charcoal eyes seemingly staring into my soul.

"Yeah, why? Why me?"

Anubis laughed.

"Seriously? That's a pretty basic answer. You're the most powerful magician in existence right now, Carter. You have the power to destroy the world."

I hated having this much responsibility. Not that I shy away from responsibility, it's just that I always receive apocalyptic levels of responsibility.

"What about Percy? I've never felt a more powerful life force than when I'm around him. Or Annabeth, she's definitely smarter than me."

"They're not magicians, now are they, Carter. I think you're getting too caught up in the logistics. Perhaps Annabeth _is_ smarter. Perhaps Percy _is_ a more powerful warrior. But you're more powerful than both of them-in a different way. You can harness a special power that neither of them would be able to handle – all because of your bloodline. Because of your studies. Everyone will have their decisions they have to make that will shape the way things turn out, but you will have the most important one. And I'm pretty sure Percy has already made his. I can feel him."

I felt like I had been punched. If Anubis could feel someone, it was never a good sign.

"Percy is. . ." I started

Anubis' silence spoke for him. This couldn't be happening. I had a vision. Percy was an important part of this. He couldn't be gone. As I pondered this, something else struck me. Years ago, when Sadie and I saving the world, our friend Walt died. Anubis was dying as well. Anubis took Walt's body as a host so that both of them could live. Now, neither of them can separate or they'll both die. But here Anubis was, in his godly form.

"Anubis, what happened to Walt? I thought you had to coexist with him?"

Anubis gave me a glance as though we were sharing an inside joke.

"The rules have kind of flown out the window, haven't they? Death has always been powerful. Ever since that beast appeared, I've been testing the limits. Walt and I do not need each other. At least not right now."

Anubis started to say something else, but a shrill whisper cut him off. I clutched my head. Anubis cursed.

"I must go, Carter. You'll figure everything out. Give Sadie my best. She hasn't seen me in a while. Tell her I'm sorry"

Without another word, he disappeared, leaving me on the ground, trying to fight off the voices.

MAGNUS POV

I couldn't process what the Hell had just happened. I thought that maybe Loki was still playing tricks on us, but I knew better. This was real life. I blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened. Percy had rescued his daughter only to fall off the cliff in front of a fiery tree. I was at a loss for words, so I just said the first one that came to mind.

"Fuck!" I pounded my fist in the ground and looked over at Alex. She seemed visibly shaken. I grabbed her hand in a comforting gesture and she gazed at me with a thankful expression. She hated having her emotions her (other than anger) but over the years, she had become a lot more revealing to me. Her eyes also told me the same thing I had been thinking. That man in black was Surtr. I had felt that presence before and there was hardly anything else like it. I shuddered, picking Alex up and hurrying in the direction of Sophia. She was sobbing into the ground, uncontrollably.

"Daddy!" she shrieked. I tried to calm her down.

"Sophia, shh, it's okay, it's oaky,"

"I want my Daddy!" She swatted at my hands. I twitched. She was raising my anxiety levels. I wasn't great dealing with kids yet. I peered over the edge, making sure he had really fallen all the way. A log seemed to form in my chest. I looked to Alex for help.

"Sophia, honey, calm down. I know you miss him already. It's okay. Want us to take you to Mommy for now?"

Sophia sobbed louder.

"Daddy!" She writhed about on the ground. I gripped my sword. I wasn't really liking her having a mental breakdown in the middle of a place like this. Muspelheim smelled like sulfur and that's all there really is to say about that. It made me gag, and I didn't like it. Sophia wriggled around a while longer before she tired herself out and fell asleep. I gingerly picked her up. She looked so pitiful, I wanted to cry right along with her.

"Where do we go?" I asked Alex. She pointed in the distance.

"How about an old shack that's destined to have an eccentric old man that will give us details on our journey?"

I sighed. "That sounds about right."

So we began our trek to the shelter, our hearts beating mournfully amongst the flames.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

I Was Partially Right

Magnus POV

I tried to wrack my brain around who could possibly be living in Muspellheim. They had to be either

A. Crazy

B. Evil

C. Both the above

Knowing my luck, I decided it was probably C. I glanced over at Alex. She seemed tired. Her face was grimy, her hair was greasy, and her body was gunky. Yet, she looked more beautiful than ever. Her brow was furrowed, as if she was concerned about something. I mean, sure, we were in a fiery Hell Hole. We had only a faint idea of how to escape and we were on a quest that was sure to end in our deaths, but I felt like there was something else on her mind. She didn't know Percy all that well (I didn't either for that matter) but it seemed to bother her. I shifted Sophia on my shoulder. She stirred slightly but stayed asleep. I reached out with my free hand and gripped Alex's hand.

"Everything's fine," I told her.

She dropped my hand in an indignant manner, but her facial expression showed gratitude. She secretly enjoyed that I cared.

"Yeah, I know," she muttered, eyeing our surroundings. I knew she was looking for the man in black. Surtr. Surt, as we called him. Honestly, he had a bunch on nicknames. I thought I had seen him standing above the fiery cliff before Percy fell. He had the power of Muspelheim flowing through him, so I was sure it was him I had seen. Alex pointed in the distance.

"I think I found our next destination," she said with a sigh.

There was a small hut perched underneath a mountain. It was made of wood and hay, which was weird, considering all the fire that surrounded it. Then again, I was technically dead and gods existed and magic existed; who was I to say something was weird?

I nodded wearily.

"I guess we should see who's inside," I volunteered. As we got closer, I woke Sophia up. I crouched down beside her, wiping fresh tears from her cheeks.

"Hey, uh, Sophia. Listen, uh," I stammered. I wasn't very good with words in situations like this. "Your dad is going to be okay. We'll find him." I felt like a liar. "Annabeth, uh, your mom, told me that he never gives up that easily. So, uh, yeah. Anyway, we're going inside this shack here. If you can sense any danger, run, okay? Just run and try to find a way off this realm."

Sophia stared at me with confused, saddened eyes. She nodded. I could tell she was scared. I awkwardly gave her a hug, burying her face into shoulder. I straightened up and took her hand with my left. I gave Alex's hand a squeeze with my free hand before preparing myself for what we were about to face. We stepped forward.

Inside the shack was rundown – as most shacks go. However, it was bigger than it looked from the outside. A wooden table ran across the middle, filled with baskets, potions, weapons and food. I looked up and the ceiling extended hundreds of feet in the air.

 _Magic hut. Noted._

To our right there was a doorway off center. I couldn't see the room entirely, but there appeared to be bed. To our left was a kitchen. The stove was still on with a pot boiling on the stove.

"Ah, you made it just in time for supper," a voice boomed, causing me to jump. I gripped Sophia's hand a bit tighter. A giant creature stood up across the room directly in front of us. I summoned Jack to my hand.

"It's like a movie, isn't it? The heroes enter the shack, a figure rises from the shadows, shit is about to go down, but the figure tells them everything is okay and not to worry!"

The giant paused, a smile on its face.

"Well, don't worry!"

He spread his arms out as though he were inviting us in for a hug. We stayed still. His face fell a bit.

"Introductions, I suppose. Breaking the ice is hard nowadays," he mumbled. "Anyway, I am Ymir, perhaps you have heard of me."

Indeed I had.

"You're the father, or mother, of all things. You're the first being to ever exist!" I blurted out.

"Right-o, kiddo. Although, mother _and_ father is more accurate."

As Ymir moved to the kitchen, his tough, grizzled form took a more petite, feminine look.

"I am a hermaphrodite, Magnus. And yes, yes," s/he continued the rest in falsetto "'How do you know our names?' Well, I am a keeper of knowledge these days. I knew you'd be coming to see me. After all, I am the thing you seek and I created the thing you seek."

I shared a look with Alex.

"What exactly is it that we seek?"

Ymir looked upon us somberly as though s/he were looking at our grave plots.

"That wretched Prophecy. I am the First Giantess and Grendel is my child."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

More Depressing News (What Else is New?)

 **Magnus POV**

"So, how did you have sex?" I asked, realizing it was as dumb as it sounded. Alex looked over at me as if she wished she had never met me.

"We just met the first being ever in existence and you want to know about procreation?"

"Well, I mean, uh- "

"And in front of a child?"

My face turned the color of beets. Maybe not that exact shade, but it was in that color family. I could feel the heat pouring from my pores. Ymir seemed amused. I looked at Sophia who seemed puzzled and frightened at the situation. I gave as loving as a squeeze as I could on her hand to reassure her.

"I trust you realize that was a question of low-intelligence?" Ymir teased. "Naturally, I reproduce asexually. Grendel was born out of a nightmare. A nightmare that became real."

"Care you elaborate a bit more?" I asked.

Deities loved speaking in riddles and confusing banter. I wish someone could just get to the point sometimes.

"Well, Magnus, do you know of the old poem about Ragnorak?"

Ymir paused and glanced at me. Her blue skin seemed to reflect the candlelight in every which way, creating constellations on the hut's walls. She began reciting a poem:

 _In the midst of this clash and din the Heavens are rent in twain,_

 _And the sons of Muspell come riding through the opening._

 _Surtr rides first, and before him and after him flames burning fire_

 _He has a very good sword, which shines brighter than the sun._

 _As they ride over Bifrost it breaks to pieces, as has before been stated._

 _The sons of Muspel direct their course to the plain which is called Vigrid. . .._

 _The sons of Muspel have there effulgent bands alone by themselves._

Alex put the poem together immediately.

"Grendel is one of the sons! That's why we've always been able to stop Ragnorak! It hasn't actually happened yet! That explains why Surtr isn't guarding Muspellheim; he's gathering forces to march on the Bifrost."

The implications of that were huge. That meant that Ragnorak was definitely going to happen. I didn't like the sound of that at all.

"That doesn't explain why you created Grendel," I stated.

Ymir looked at me sadly.

"No, I suppose it doesn't. It was Surtr."

It took everything within me not to asked if she had gotten it on with Surtr. Ymir continued.

"He placed a Nidstang in Muspellheim that cursed me to bear an unspeakable evil upon the Realms. An evil only found in nightmares. Thusly, Grendel, and his mother, were then born literally out of my nightmares."

Now I was starting to get confused. A _Nidstang_ , by the way, is a rune used for placing a _nid_ on someone. _Nid_ is just a fancy Norse word for "curse."

"Hasn't the story of Grendel been around for centuries? Plus, I thought Grendel was destroyed."

Ymir smiled coldly.

"History is written by the victors, Magnus. Grendel's mother was destroyed, yes. However, Grendel escaped. And Beowulf, oh. Now that man loved to boast. Rightfully so, too. He was a great warrior. After he defeated Grendel's mother and the child was nowhere to be seen, he got to twist the story however he saw fit. Beowulf, of course, bragged that he defeated both. The story was told through countless taverns. People mixed up the story. Some say he lay with the monster and bore Grendel. Some state that they existed when Beowulf arrived. Some might believe that neither existed, but I know the terrible truth. Grendel went into hiding and became powerful."

I shared a troubled look with Alex. I shifted my weight and bit my lip.

"Where is this _Nidstang_? Can we not destroy it or find a way to break the curse?" Alex pondered.

Ymir threw her hands in the air and the entire hut dissolved. We were suddenly back on the cliff where Percy fell into the fiery pit. Sophia whimpered and clutched my leg. Alex bent down and picked Sophia up, holding her tightly and patting her back. Ymir pointed at a glowing tree on fire in the middle of the river.

"There is the _Nidstang_ , Alex. Now you tell me exactly how you plan on breaking the curse?"

Alex gripped my arm, causing a red mark to appear.

"Ow!" I exclaimed.

"Magnus. The Prophet's Son shall break the curse, that binds the giantess of the first. Only Magic and gods prevail, Lest Wisdom sever the mortal veil."

The Prophecy. Ymir clapped her hands and we appeared back in her hut.

"Prophecies are all fine and dandy, Alex, but they can have several different meanings. How many prophets do you know in this day and age? Not just you, Alex. Magnus? Sophia?"

Ymir stumped me there. I shook my head. I didn't know of any other than the Oracle at Percy's demigod camp. But I wasn't sure if that fit the description exactly.

"You can know what the Prophecy says, dears, but its another thing altogether to know what it means."

I ran my hands through my hair. This sucked.

"Well, seeing as you've got some things to think about, why don't you eat some supper and then stay here for the night?"

I glanced at Alex and shrugged. Seeing as there wasn't much else we could do, we agreed.

Annabeth POV

Iris Messages weren't going through to Percy, I couldn't find Sophia anywhere, and my gut told me something was wrong. I usually kept myself in check pretty well, but I'd been an emotional wreck lately. I think that's what love does, eventually. I didn't care about anything in the world as much as Percy and Sophia and now I had neither of them. I was riding the subway right now, trying to keep a low profile. I felt as though someone had been watching me since I left Camp Half-Blood. I couldn't tell whether it was friend or foe, but it was a familiar presence. Whomever it was trying to shield themselves from me. I was pretending to flip through a magazine when I noticed a figure out of the corner of my eye. They were looking around nervously and glancing frequently in my direction. I decided to get off at the next stop. Sure enough, they followed me. I walked swiftly through the terminal and up the stairs. There, across the street, stood the same figure. I gulped and reached for my dagger. The figure strolled towards me. I gripped the hilt of my weapon and took it out.

"No, Annabeth! It's me!"

The figure took of his cloak to reveal the face of Apollo.

"Good gods, Apollo, why are you stalking me?" I put my dagger away while he shushed me.

"Shut up! Shut up! Don't say my name. Names have power!"

He glanced in every direction frantically, like a scared bunny. He was jumpy, as if he shouldn't be caught talking to me.

"Ran is hunting the gods down. I'm the only one left. She even got your mother!"

I stared at him quizzically.

"I find it hard to believe that you are the only one left. My mother is the Wisdom goddess."

"It's her Hubris. She thought she could stand up to her, but she didn't realize Ran was that strong. But A-T-H-E-N-A has a plan. It's a bad one, though. Oh, its so bad. Gods."

"What is it? Blurt it out!" I exclaimed. His nervous behavior had me scared. If the Gods were scared, it was bad.

"She's going to use the Mist to destroy Ran and Grendel and whoever else is out there. But if she uses the Mist to accomplish that goal, then the Mist will cease to exist! Mortals will be able to see Magic. They'll go through old news reports and see that some of those natural disasters weren't exactly what they seem. They'll get onto the Empire State Building and see the 600th floor. It will be chaos. The weaker ones will go crazy, the stronger might grow bolder. Nothing will be the same. On the other hand, though, if Ran destroys the world, it will be just as bad. Both options are bad. We've got to stop both of them. Stop Ran and your Mother. You have to stop them. I've got to go. I've been in one spot too long!"

He started to walk off. He was being Cryptic and confusing. How could my mother eradicate the Mist?

"Wait, I need more information! Where is my mother? Do you know where Percy is? Or Sophia"

"Ran has her. I'm sorry. Percy is. . .Percy is dead. I hate to be the one who tells you, Annabeth. I'm sorry, I've got to go."

He disappeared with a flash of golden light. I stood amidst a group of strangers waking past me. The news hit me like an anvil. I didn't have anyone to share in my pain. A part of me didn't believe Apollo, but the feeling in my gut told me it was true. If Percy was gone, then what about Sophia? Then, I thought of Sally. Gods, why I hadn't I been in contact with her sooner? I turned in the direction of her apartment and started walking. My feet seemed to get heavier with each step I took. I finally understood the feeling of helplessness.

A/N I know I try to avoid these little notes, but I'm just providing a little apology. I have been very busy recently. I've experience 3 deaths recently. Two were my closest and oldest friends and another was my grandmother. I have also entered the last semester of college and will receive my B.S. degree this summer. Thanks for those of you who have kept up with the story. I promise I'm gonna finish this for you and give you some closure. Originally, it was supposed to be a three-part series, but I am re-writing it to be just one complete story. Don't know if you'll see much from me after this story, but if I have something to say, I'll say it.


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